PAPILLION, Neb. (KMTV) — Due to health and safety reasons related to COVID-19, the opening day for the Omaha Storm Chasers is delayed until May 4, according to a spokesperson for the team.
On Tuesday, Major League Baseball (MLB) informed clubs of an approximate four-week delay to the start of the 2021 Triple-A season.
The season was set to begin for the Omaha Storm Chasers on April 6 in Toledo. Now, the Omaha Storm Chasers will face the St. Paul Saints at Werner Park on May 4 to open the season.
“While we’re disappointed to have to wait a little longer to welcome our Chasers Family back to Werner Park, we’re confident that having more time to prepare for the 2021 season will help us make our 60 home games as fun and memorable as they can be,” Storm Chasers President Martie Cordaro said. “We’re so excited to see everyone at Werner Park on May 4 to celebrate the return of Triple-A baseball to the Omaha metro.”
According to the MLB, the delay to the start of the season will increase the likelihood that Minor League players may be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine prior to their assignments to various Minor League affiliates in the spring.
As a result, teams will use an alternate training site for Triple-A players at the start of the Major League season, allowing for a faster and safer process of replacing players as needed on the Major League Active Rosters.
The new schedule will start with the May 4 game against St. Paul and will continue as scheduled, aside from two additional games replacing off days during the previously scheduled All-Star Break in July.
Those games, set for July 13-14, will both be road contests against Indianapolis.
Games previously scheduled for April will not be rescheduled, according to the team's press release.
The season is still planned to conclude on September 19.
Sixty total games are planned for Werner Park this season and 120 games are scheduled for the Storm Chasers overall.
For more information, visit the Storm Chasers' website.
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