After running out of options, the Toronto Blue Jays have committed to playing home games in Buffalo, home of their AAA affiliate.
The Toronto Blue Jays announced that a bulk of their 2020 home games will be played at the home of their Triple-A affiliate, Buffalo’s Sahlen Field, after considering other options.
In a statement released by the team on July 24, president and CEO of the Blue Jays Mark Shapiro said, “We are extremely grateful to have a home in Buffalo this season, thanks to the openness, creativity, and partnership of the Buffalo Bisons, Major League Baseball and Blue Jays staff, who have worked tirelessly to prepare us for games at Sahlen Field. This process has no doubt tested our team’s resilience, but our players and staff refuse to make excuses – we are determined to take the field on Opening Day today, and for the coming months, with the same intensity and competitiveness that our fans expect.”
The Blue Jays were banned by Canadian government legislators on July 18 from playing their home games in Toronto due to COVID-19 concerns, despite the fact that the NHL postseason is being held in Toronto and Edmonton. Plans to play at PNC Park were shuttered on July 22 when health officials in Pennsylvania blocked the Blue Jays from playing in Pittsburgh.
Toronto had considered playing at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, but Maryland health authorities required many immediate changes, including erecting an alternate onsite clubhouse, which was not feasible given the current timeline.
Sahlen Field had originally been dismissed as the Blue Jays home park because of inferior lighting issues. The park also needed upgrades in the dugouts, clubhouses, training facilities and other workout areas to meet COVID-19 guidelines established by Major League Baseball.
The team’s scheduled first home series, Wednesday, July 29 through Thursday, July 30 against the World Champion Washington Nationals will be played at a Nationals Park in Washington as Sahlen Field undergoes the necessary upgrades to host major league games.
The Blue Jays will either host its first home game in Buffalo on Friday, July 31 against the Philadelphia Phillies or Tuesday, Aug. 11 against the Miami Marlins.
The Toronto Blue Jays had originally planned to have their taxi squad train at their Triple-A facility. The squad will now move to Frontier Field in Rochester, roughly 75 miles east of Buffalo. Toronto is approximately two hours by motor vehicle from Buffalo.