Morning Mound Visit: Happy Opening Day!

Ben Lindbergh and Rob Arthur | The Ringer: MLB has made changes to the baseball in an effort to decrease the number of home runs and increase the number of balls in play, but early returns seem to suggest the changes haven’t had their intended effect. Not only are there more home runs being hit per contact, but pitches are moving more and leading to more strikeouts.

Patrick Reddington | Federal Baseball: One Washington National tested positive for COVID-19 leading five others to be quarantined. Of the six who either tested positive or came in close contact with the positive person, five were players. The Nationals will likely begin their season down at least these five players and perhaps more since the majority of the team traveled together before results came in.

Keegan Matheson | MLB.com: The Blue Jays will start the year without George Springer and Robbie Ray. Springer was placed on the 10-day IL with an oblique strain. Ray bruised his left elbow falling down a flight of stairs earlier this spring and will miss at least one start.