Blue Jays to use Buffalo as 2020 home

Major League Baseball is coming to a Minor League ballpark.

The Toronto Blue Jays will use Triple-A Buffalo's Sahlen Field for a majority of its 30 home games during the 2020 season, the Major League club officially announced Friday.

The decision came after the Canadian government did not grant the Jays permission to use Rogers Centre for the regular season due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. The club held its Summer Camp exercises there, but was not cleared to host other teams. The Blue Jays reportedly explored using Major League parks in Pittsburgh and Baltimore before making the Buffalo move official.

In addition to the Major League news, Triple-A Rochester's Frontier Field will serve as Toronto's alternate site for players in the 60-man player pool who are not on the active Major League roster. Because of the situation, the Jays are the last team to announce an alternate training site for the 60-game Major League season.

“The Buffalo Bisons organization is looking forward to doing everything we can to assist the Blue Jays in their pursuit for a championship season in 2020," said Mike Buczkowski, president of Rich Baseball Operations, in a statement. "Being able to host the majority of their home games will not only strengthen what is already a tremendous partnership between the Bisons and Blue Jays, but also gives us an opportunity to showcase our beautiful ballpark home of Sahlen Field and our tremendous community in Buffalo, NY.”

"We are extremely grateful to have a home in Buffalo this season, thanks to the openness, creativity and partnership of the Buffalo Bisons, Major League Baseball and Blue Jays staff, who have worked tirelessly to prepare us for games at Sahlen Field," said Blue Jays president & CEO Mark Shapiro in a statement. "This process has no doubt tested our team's resilience, but our players and staff refuse to make excuses -- we are determined to take the field on Opening Day today, and for the coming months, with the same intensity and competitiveness that our fans expect."

Buffalo has served as Toronto's Triple-A affiliate since the 2013 season.

Sixteen members of the Blue Jays' Opening Day 30-man roster played in Buffalo at some point during their careers, either as a Minor Leaguer or on rehab assignment: Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, Santiago Espinal, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Rowdy Tellez, Anthony Alford, Randal Grichuk, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Teoscar Hernández, Billy McKinney, Sam Gaviglio, Anthony Kay, Jordan Romano, Jacob Waguespack, Danny Jansen and Reese McGuire. Two members of the club's taxi squad have also called Buffalo home in the past: top prospect Nate Pearson and Ryan Borucki.

The Jays' first home game is scheduled for July 29, though that will take place at Nationals Park in Washington. The club has yet to reveal when the Buffalo opener will occur and has said an updated schedule will be released soon.