MLBPA union head hopeful of major leaguers participating in 2028 Olympics

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Baseball players’ union head Tony Clark says plans are moving ahead exploring the possibility of using major leaguers in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and discussions have taken place this week during the All-Star break.

“There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done,” he told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Tuesday. “We do know players are interested in playing, whether it’s for the Team USA or any number of other teams around the world. … There’s just a lot of conversation that needs to be had sooner rather than later to see how viable this is, but we’re hopeful that we can figure our way through it for the benefit of the game.”

The World Baseball Softball Confederation said Monday the baseball tournament will be played from July 15-20 at Dodger Stadium. Major League Baseball is considering whether it can interrupt its 2028 season to allow major leaguers to participate, which could necessitate changes to the sport’s national television contracts.

MLB did not allow players on 40-man rosters to participate in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, when Nippon Professional Baseball interrupted its season and Japan beat the U.S. 2-0 in the gold medal game.

“In the event that major league players are going to play, what does that mean and what does that look like?” Clark said. “And perhaps just as importantly, what does it mean for those players who aren’t participating? What type of scheduling adjustments need to be made? What type travel considerations and support need to considered? What does that means in regards to insurance?”