Oakland Athletics: Chad Pinder expects pause will have effects on season

The major league season being on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic is uncharted territory for everyone involved in baseball. Oakland Athletics utility man Chad Pinder expects that the effects will be felt into the season.

Major League Baseball is in uncharted territory. For the first time that is not related to labor woes, the season is delayed, throwing the Oakland Athletics, and every other team, into a state of flux. Rosters are frozen, players are training on their own, and everyone is stuck in a holding pattern.

Given the situation, it is not a surprise that players expect the effects will be felt into the season. A’s utility man Chad Pinder is one of those expecting that the delay will make an impact upon the 2020 campaign, whenever it eventually begins.

That impact will be understandable. It was just a few short weeks ago when teams were getting ready for the season, examining their rosters and sending players to the minors. Excitement abounded, as even the teams expected to finish in the bottom tier had reason to hope, even if it would be fleeting.

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But that was then. Now, players are working out on their own, doing their best to stay in shape amidst the uncertainty. Pinder is working out in his garage, hardly the ideal situation for a player that is expected to be a major piece on the A’s roster this season.

Granted, there will be another spring training. Players will have time to get back into playing shape before the season starts. However, given the lack of formal workouts, and how those players will have started, stopped, and then started up again, the risk for injury is certainly higher. That is especially the case should there be an abbreviated spring training before the season begins.

That will make the upcoming season so fascinating. Injuries could play a major part in team’s fortunes, with those who escape into the season relatively unscathed in a better place. Likewise, those players may still be getting ready when the season eventually begins, with the potential for a slower start that much greater.

Oakland Athletics utility man Chad Pinder is correct in that the effects of the coronavirus will be felt into the regular season. But how they will be felt is anyone’s guess at this point.