Updates on Pittsburgh Pirates Spring Training Workouts Amid Shutdown

More news has been uncoverd about the Pittsburgh Pirates players workout routines as the Major League Baseball shutdown continues.

It’s been about a week since MLB has officially suspended Spring Training play and delayed the beginning of the season. However, that hasn’t stopped many players, including members of the Pittsburgh Pirates, from remaining at their respective camps to continue working out and preparing for the 2020 season, whenever that starts.

More news on the Pittsburgh Pirates camp has been released per Adam Berry via Twitter:

Per manager Derek Shelton, the Pirates aren't holding formal workouts. Still some players down in Bradenton three times a week, staggering their workout times to avoid crowds. "Nothing extremely advanced right now," he said.
— Adam Berry (@adamdberry) March 19, 2020

Players are still taking their time to prepare for the season, and trying to do it in the safest way possible. Right now, the biggest concern is large crowds of people interacting with each other. However, the Pirates players still in camp seem to be taking the safest precautions by staggering their workout and exercising times to avoid drawing crowds.

It also seems like the players aren’t going about their regular spring routines, which shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody. Currently, it is unknown when exactly the season could start. It seems foolish to go about the regular spring routine when this could last months.

Adam Berry also tweeted the following about the pitchers:

Per Shelton:
-No Pirates have required testing for COVID-19, to his knowledge.
-Pitchers will "deload" for now, rather than cutting off throwing programs or continuing to ramp up, until there's a timeframe for games. "We're in unknown territory in terms of how we're doing this."
— Adam Berry (@adamdberry) March 19, 2020

Thus far, three Major League Baseball members have tested positive for COVID-19 (two New York Yankees unnamed minor league players and a Cincinnati Reds employee), no members of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization have required testing for the virus. Now that doesn’t mean there are no Pirates players or employees who have the virus. Neither players nor employees have shown symptoms of the virus. Hopefully, it stays that way.

As for pitchers, manager Derek Shelton has stated that they’ll ‘deload’ for now, rather than cut off their preparation for 2020, or cutting off throwing programs entirely. This seems like a sensible move since the start of the 2020 season is still up in the air. Currently, it doesn’t look like we’ll see Major League Baseball games until at least June, but that could change at any time.

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However, a lot can happen between now and May, and some professional baseball organizations have already begun re-ramping up operations. Over in Japan, former 2018 1st round draft pick and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks pitcher, Carter Stewart, is already facing live batters vs the Chiba Lotte Marines in a practice game. However, right now, letting pitchers deload seems like the best idea. This way, they won’t be wearing themselves out by doing their same spring training routine for what could last upwards of three months, but it also keeps them ready and warm if the season starts earlier than June.

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