Kansas City bans gatherings of 50 or more people for eight weeks

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has announced that no events or gatherings with 50 or more people will be allowed in the city for the next eight weeks, following recommendations from the CDC. Educational institutions, daycare facilities and business operations are exempt.

This ban on gathering will extend into mid-May, meaning that is very unlikely the Royals begin their season after the two-week delay announced by MLB last week. Several states, including Ohio, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Washington, have already similar bans on gatherings in public, as well as cities like St. Louis, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.

Owners are expected to have a conference call today to determine next steps, but it is becoming increasingly clear that the season will not begin on April 9, as planned right now, and some executives feel the season may not begin until Memorial Day weekend, if it even begins then.

Even once the public is given the all clear to begin gathering again, players will need to travel from their homes back to spring training, and will likely need a week or two to prepare for the season. Although some in baseball are still clinging to the idea of playing a 162-game season, it seems clear there will have to be some revised, truncated schedule this year, even under a best-case scenario. Playing games in empty stadiums could, perhaps allow teams to begin playing earlier, however, although player safety will have to be strongly considered.

Monday 1:12 p.m. update: Baseball will push back the start of the season til at least mid-May.