MLB, Fanatics Agree to Produce Masks, Gowns Instead of Jerseys Amid COVID-19

Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin announced Thursday he has converted a factory that makes MLB jerseys into one that makes masks and gowns for health workers. 

The products will go to frontline medical workers and hospitals working to treat the coronavirus pandemic.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and Attorney General Josh Shapiro requested help over the past week, while MLB commissioner Rob Manfred also agreed to halting production of MLB jerseys.

ESPN's Jeff Passan provided another view of the equipment:

"We're fortunate to have this giant factory in Pennsylvania that makes all these baseball jerseys," Rubin told John Clark of NBC Sports, "and to have the commissioner of baseball behind us, and to have the governor and attorney general saying, 'How do we make a difference?' ... If you can make a difference, you've gotta go out and do that."

Though the masks and gowns will initially go across Pennsylvania, Rubin noted they will eventually go to help those in New Jersey and New York.

New York has had more confirmed cases than any state in the country with over 37,000 infected by COVID-19, per CNN. New Jersey has the second-most cases with over 6,000 as of Thursday.

Rubin is also a part owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, two teams that initially planned to reduce salaries for full-time workers but eventually reversed course.