Pirates' Keone Kela: close contact 'inevitable' during games

Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitcher Keone Kela is confident that the 2020 season will be played. All in all, he' is unsure whether or not Major League Baseball's proposed social-distancing measures will even work.

"It's hard to do because if you hit a single, you're standing next to the first baseman," Kela told Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "If you're turning a double play and you have someone sliding into second, you're going to come into close contact. It's inevitable."

The league has suggested safety protocols include wearing masks, frequent hand-washing, and keeping a distance of six feet during the national anthems and God Bless America.

However, as Kela says, players could still be put at risk during the live baseball situations. He believes that the only way it will work is if there is frequent testing and players are going to be honest about their health.

"If you do get proper testing and everybody is truthful about getting symptoms and can come forward, we can handle this and continue to move forward," Kela added. "We have to be fast. I figure if the season is to start any later, we're trying to extend it to October and November, flu season is coming up pretty soon, as well."

The MLBPA has submitted a response Thursday to the league's safety proposal, though details of the "wide-ranging" reply were not yet made public.

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