TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo's Fifth Third Field will serve as an alternate training location for the Detroit Tigers, leaders with Minor League Baseball announced Wednesday.
According to the MiLB website, the pool of players will start working out in Toledo after they finish spring training.
Joe Napoli, Toledo Mud Hens President and CEO said the following in a press release:
“We’ve had a longstanding relationship with the Tigers and their leadership team, and have been discussing this arrangement for several weeks. Toledo is very excited to assist the Tigers and host team personnel as Major League Baseball (MLB) returns to play.”
Detroit Tigers Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Al Avila also commented, saying:
"Toledo’s proximity to Detroit and our 30-plus year affiliation made it a natural choice to serve as our alternate training location, and we’re glad it came together. We appreciate the Mud Hens’ organization for their partnership during this unique 2020 season."
Toledo Mud Hens General Manager Erik Ibsen said that as players begin to arrive in the 419, the hope is to have fans watch workouts and scrimmages. He said that once those plans are finalized, they will be released to the public.
Ibsen said his team is working on implementing safety protocols set forth by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine during the coronavirus pandemic.
Spring training for the Tigers is scheduled to start July 1 and Opening Day is set for July 23-24.
Players are expected to arrive in Toledo in conjunction with the start of the MLB season.
This story is developing.
