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O's Pitcher Kohl Stewart Says Social Distancing In Clubhouse Is 'Almost Impossible,' Uncertain About Season

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The first month of the baseball season is wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there's growing optimism that games could begin in the next couple of months.

Many factors are still in play before any sport gets the okay to proceed, and Major League Baseball has multiple plans on the table.

Orioles pitcher Kohl Stewart is new to the team after starting his career in Minnesota. He's given a lot of thought to what it will take for conditions to be safe enough for games to resume.

CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

Stewart said he has concerns about how players share close quarters when they're together, a challenge when trying to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

"What happens if one guy tests positive, and all 50 guys are around that guy?" Stewart said. "In the clubhouse, it's almost impossible to maintain a six-foot distance. We're all getting in the same hot tub together, or we're all using the same trainer. It's just really going to come down to: Do we have the amount of tests? And we test guys on a weekly basis. Hopefully we get to a point where that's possible."

Stewart emphasized that while he's pessimistic, he hopes he's wrong. He wants baseball back and wants to make his Orioles debut at Camden Yards this year.

For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.

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