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Three months after shutdown, Minnesota pro sports back on horizon

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MLB commissioner Rob Manfred speaks to the media Dec. 10, 2019 before announcing the All-MLB team during the MLB Winter Meetings at Manchester Grand Hyatt. Orlando Ramirez / USA TODAY Sports

Just over three months since the sports world shut down, plans to bring professional team sports back are starting to crystallize. In a little less than a month, Major League Soccer will be the first to return since Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert’s positive test for COVID-19 on March 11 essentially put a stop to sports.

Ready or not, states have started declaring themselves open for sports. Multiple professional leagues plan on heading to Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis has said they are welcome, even as cases spike. The state of Florida reported 1,902 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, the highest number of new cases in a day, shattering a record set just a day earlier.

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Still, professional leagues are plan to carry on with their plans. Here is a look at where each of Minnesota’s pro sports teams stand with return-to-play plans:

Twins

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said before Wednesday night’s draft that there will be baseball in 2020. When that might happen remains anybody’s guess. An original proposal had it MLB returning July 4, but as the league and MLB Players Association swap proposals, that possibility has come and gone.

Although the quantity of proposals being passed last week seems to indicate some progress, the primary sticking point remains player compensation. Players want pro-rated salaries for the length of any season, and the owners’ latest proposal, reported by ESPN’s Karl Ravech on Friday, is for 80-85 percent over as many as 75 games.

If the two sides can’t come to a deal, the league can mandate a shorter season — around 48 games or so — in a move that is likely to be unpopular with players.

Wild

The National Hockey League and players union announced Thursday that formal training camps may resume on July 10 as part of the league’s Phase 3 of a joint Return to Play plan between league and union.

The length of training camp has yet to be determined but is expected to be about two weeks, according to the Associated Press. Phase 4 would be a restart to the season put on hold March 12. That could be as early as late July.

The NHL is planning on coming back with a 24-team postseason tournament, which would include the Wild, in two different hub cities. St. Paul is among 10 cities that are being considered as hub sites.

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Timberwolves

The NBA has approved a restart plan but the Timberwolves’ season came to an end when the league’s Board of Governors approved a plan to send 22 teams to Orlando, Fla., to conclude the regular season before moving on to the playoffs.

At 19-45, the second-worst record in the Western Conference, the Timberwolves will not be included. For the teams that will head to Florida, the league has said the tentative start date will be July 31 with the hope of finishing the NBA Finals by Oct. 12.

Vikings

As of now, the NFL appears to be on for a Sept. 10 start, as previously scheduled. However, the NFL and the NFL Players Association are reportedly discussing the possibility of shortening the 2020 preseason according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, which could mean that teams play two preseason games instead of four.

Most teams are expected to report to training camp on July 28, and nfl.com has reported there will be no in-person mini camps. Teams will reportedly be allowed to continue their virtual offseason training programs through June 26.

United FC

The Loons will head to Orlando to compete in a leaguewide tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex starting July 8 and ending with a championship game Aug. 11.

The United will play three other Western Conference teams in the group stage after which there will be a knockout round of 16 teams. After the tournament wraps, MLS hopes teams will be allowed to return home and play out the rest of the regular season in their respective cities.

The Loons have been doing small-group workouts at the National Sports Center in Blaine and could move toward returning to full-team training sessions if they get state approval.

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Lynx

Like the NBA and MLS, it appears possible the WNBA might head to Florida for their season. A proposal reported by ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel earlier this month had the WNBA heading to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, to play a 22-game regular season starting in late July.

The Lynx had been scheduled to begin on May 15 and play and 36 games. Voepel reported last week that the plan was still “tentative,” and players had not agreed to it as of June 4.

Saints

The American Association has expressed a desire to get a shortened season underway in early July, if possible, and the Saints — who won their first league championship last season — have released a readiness plan for CHS Field. However, no recent update has been given.

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