MLB Players 'Possible' For 2028 Olympics in LA, Commissioner Rob Manfred Says
The 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles could provide MLB players with the chance to pursue a gold medal.
Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday that "it’s possible’’ to have MLB players play in the 2028 Olympics if it coincides with an extended All-Star break. However, he also added that there would have to be "major concessions" to ensure a full 162-game schedule can still be played that year.
MLB players haven't been able to participate in the Summer Olympics due to the league's schedule, which runs from the spring to the fall. In the 2021 Tokyo Olympics when players on 40-man rosters were barred from participating by MLB, the United States lost the gold-medal game to Japan 2-0. Nippon Professional Baseball had paused its season to allow its best players to participate.
Tony Clark, who leads the MLB players' union, said that plans are moving forward with trying to allow players to represent their respective countries in the 2028 Olympics.
"There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done," Clark told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Tuesday, per Ronald Blum of the Associated Press. "We do know players are interested in playing, whether it’s for the Team USA or any number of other teams around the world. … There’s just a lot of conversation that needs to be had sooner rather than later to see how viable this is, but we’re hopeful that we can figure our way through it for the benefit of the game."
Still, Clark made it clear that there are a ton of questions remaining before anything becomes definite.
"In the event that major league players are going to play, what does that mean and what does that look like?" Clark said. "And perhaps just as importantly, what does it mean for those players who aren’t participating? What type of scheduling adjustments need to be made? What type travel considerations and support need to considered? What does that means in regards to insurance?"
