Chicago White Sox Report To Ballpark For 2020 Season

CHICAGO — Chicago White Sox players reported to Guaranteed Rate Field on Wednesday to begin training for the revamped 2020 season, which will include a 60-game slate scheduled to begin on July 23 or 24. The 60-game schedule has not yet been released.

Wednesday's training at the stadium was restricted with cameras not allowed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a spokesman for the White Sox told Patch. All players and coaches must test negative for the new coronavirus before taking the field and workouts will not begin until Friday, ABC-7 reports.

According to a proposal submitted by Major League Baseball to the Major League Baseball Players' Association, teams will play a majority of their games against divisional opponents and the other games against teams in the same region in the other league.

So for the White Sox, that means 10 games apiece will be scheduled against the Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals. The remaining 20 will be split against the five teams from the National League Central: Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds.

This was done to limit travel distances amid the pandemic, according to MLB.

While the final schedule has yet to be released, ESPN and other media outlets have reported that the White Sox' "Field of Dreams" game at the field in Iowa made famous by the 1988 movie, originally set to be against the New York Yankees, will now be played against the Cardinals. The date for that game, according to ESPN, remains Aug. 13.

Before the coronavirus shut down sports back in March, the 2020 season was to be the most anticipated in recent years for the White Sox, who added a number of star veterans such as Yasmani Grandal, Edwin Encarnacion and Dallas Kuechel to their roster. Luis Robert, a rookie center fielder and top-rated prospect, is also expected to make his Major League Baseball debut this season.

The White Sox are coming off seven consecutive losing seasons, with the last time they finished with an above .500 record being 2012. They have not made the playoffs since 2008, which is the second longest playoff drought in MLB. Only the Seattle Mariners (2001) have gone longer without a playoff appearance.