Very, for the most part. Players have been gathering at fields and facilities across the country to stay sharp when camps didn’t open as planned in mid-February. Aaron Judge and several Yankees teammates have been preparing at the University of South Florida, Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin has invited alumni and their pals to use the school’s facilities in Nashville, Tennessee, and the union opened a facility in Mesa, Arizona, for players.
There may still be a few hurdles. It’s not uncommon for international players to be delayed by visa issues. It’s usually a small complication during the standard six-week spring, but with camps shortened and coronavirus concerns still affecting international travel, some players might end up with a troublingly short runway. It’s unclear if the league and union have established a new set of COVID-19 protocols, but some players could be slowed if there is intake testing.
And of course, there’s concern about the health of the players, especially pitchers. This is the second time in three seasons that players will be thrown out of their normal spring routine. The rate of injuries spiked last year, when the schedule was restored to 162 games after only 60 games were played in 2020 because of COVID-19.
There will also be sorely needed communication between players and training staffs in the early days. Teams have not been allowed to speak with major league players during the lockout, an especially tricky set of circumstances for those rehabbing after injuries.