MLB cancels 2nd week of season; Earliest possible Orioles’ opener is April 15th

Now in its 98^th day, Major League Baseball’s lockout of the players has resulted in a second week of regular season games cancelled. Commissioner Rob Manfred announced on Wednesday that an additional two series have been cancelled, and that the earliest possible Opening Day is April 14^th.

The Orioles’ scheduled series in Tampa Bay for April 8^th-10^th and at home against Milwaukee on April 11^th-13^th were cancelled. Previously, the opening series with Toronto (March 31^st-April 3^rd) and at Boston (April 4^th-6^th) had been scrubbed.

The Orioles are scheduled to be off on April 14^th and begin a three-game series with the New York Yankees at home on April 15^th.

MLB and the Players’ Association seemed to be making significant progress towards a settlement, but the issue of an international draft, which had not been a paramount one previously, emerged this week as an area of disagreement.

The owners wanted to tie their removal of compensation for top level free agents’ signings to the players’ acceptance of an international draft.

Latin American players have voiced loud objections to the international draft.