When is Opening Day? What to expect after MLB cancels games originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
It's official, the Major League Baseball season won't begin on March 31.
That date was Opening Day for the 2022 season, but after the MLB and MLB Players' Association failed to reach a deal, commissioner Rob Manfred announced the cancellation of regular season games.
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For now, the cancellation is for the first two series of the 2022 season, from March 31 (Opening Day) through the first full week of April.
The Cubs will lose five games — their opening three-game series in Cincinnati and their home-opening two-game set vs. the Cardinals.
The White Sox will lose six games - their opening three-game series against the Minnesota Twins at home and their three-game road game series against Kansas City Royals.
That makes the Cubs' new Opening Day April 7 against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field.
The White Sox' new first game of the season would be on April 8 against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. The White Sox new home opener would be on April 12 against the Seattle Mariners, the first of a six-game homestand.
Related: Here's a guide to the 2022 MLB lockout
And that is if the two sides can come to terms on a deal before more games need to be canceled.
Manfred said the league and union will continue negotiations in New York, and Thursday is the earliest those conversations could resume.
There wasn't a lot of urgency to get a deal done for most of the lockout until the 11th hour. Whether the urgency both sides displayed in the final days ahead of the end of February deadline continues, remains to be seen.
The deadline was extended to Tuesday, March 1, providing hope a deal could get done to prevent game cancellations.
The league made its "final offer" shortly before the 4 p.m. deadline — a proposal that had significant differences with the locked-out players' last offer.
MLB reportedly expressed a willingness to cancel the first month of games in a meeting with the union on Monday. But ultimately only canceled the first two series to start.
Whether that's optimism for a deal or managing fan anger remains to be seen.
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