After a temporary stint playing in Florida, the Toronto Blue Jays are heading north to return to their "home away from home" in Buffalo.
The first game at Sahlen Field, home of the organization's Triple-A team, in New York will take place on June 1, according to a tweet from the Blue Jays.
In February the MLB team announced it would start its season at its spring training facility in Dunedin due to the "ongoing Canada-US border closure."
"... we have made the difficult decision to play the first two homestands of the 2021 regular season(through May 2) at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, FL, with the hopes of a return to play at Rogers Centre as soon as possible," the team said in a statement on Twitter.
The Blue Jays played in Buffalo, New York, last season after the Canadian government didn’t allow the organization to play in Canada because of the COVID-19 risk of frequent travel throughout the U.S.
The team is the second Canadian sports team to "rent" Florida and call it a temporary home base. The Toronto Raptors have called Amalie Arena in Tampa home this season.
Fan capacity for games at Sahlen Field will be capped at 24 percent to stay in compliance with local and sate guidelines. Tickets will be sold in pods of up to four seats that will be kept at least six feet apart.
Fans three and up will also need to show proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 result within 72 hours of game day. Those over the age of 2 will need to wear a face-covering at all times.
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