LEADING OFF: Crowds back on opening day, Cole starts season

A look at what’s happening around the majors today:

OPENING DAY

From Fenway Park to Petco Park, ballparks will again be buzzing with real fans, rather than pumped-in crowd noise, as Fernando Tatis Jr., Randy Arozarena, Juan Soto, Mookie Betts and MVPs José Abreu and Freddie Freeman step to the plate on opening day.

All 30 teams are scheduled to be in action, with Gerrit Cole set to throw the first pitch of the season against Toronto at Yankee Stadium. Clayton Kershaw starts for the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado, AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber goes for Cleveland at Detroit, San Diego newcomer Yu Darvish takes on Arizona and the matchup in Washington is max effort: Jacob deGrom of the Mets vs. Max Scherzer of the Nats, the pair combining to win five Cy Young trophies.

A year after no fans were allowed during the virus-shortened 60-game season, every stadium is open, in varying degrees as teams adhere to coronavirus protocols.

“Going from zero to anything was going to be fun, especially for the players," Cleveland manager Terry Francona said during spring training.

EARLY TESTS

The Washington Nationals will be short-handed due to a positive coronavirus test for the second straight season opener.

After Juan Soto was sidelined the day of Washington's first game last summer, five Nationals players will miss Thursday night's game against the Mets — one due to a positive test, the others because of contact tracing. General manager Mike Rizzo did not reveal who the five players were, and the only certainty as of Wednesday night was that opening day starter Max Scherzer wasn't one of them. The right-hander told reporters he wasn't on the team flight where the close contact occurred.

The positive result came from a test conducted Monday,...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/LEADING-OFF-Crowds-back-on-opening-day-Cole-16068664.php