TORONTO (AP/WFLA) — The Toronto Blue Jays will begin the season at their spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida.
The team said in a news release Thursday that Major League Baseball has signed off for the Blue Jays to play the first two homestands in Dunedin.
“With the ongoing Canada-US border closure, the Blue Jays have made the difficult decision to play the first two homestands of the 2021 regular season at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, FL, with the hopes of a return to play at Rogers Centre as soon as possible,” the news release stated.
The Blue Jays played in Buffalo, New York, last season after the Canadian government didn’t allow the team to play in Canada because of the COVID-19 risk of frequent travel throughout the U.S. The border remains closed to nonessential travelers who are not Canadian citizens; Canada requires those entering the country to isolate for 14 days.
The team said it would continue to monitor the situation to determine the next steps toward returning to Rogers Centre.
“Next to the health and safety of our fans, players, and staff, the Blue Jays’ top priority is returning home to play on Canadian soil as soon as it is safe to do so,” the team said.
