Blue Jays moving back to Buffalo’s Sahlen Field for June 1
Posted May 5, 2021 9:24 am.
Last Updated May 5, 2021 10:59 am.
The Toronto Blue Jays are returning to Buffalo’s renovated Sahlen Field beginning with a five-game homestand against the Miami Marlins and Houston Astros.
Buffalo, we’re BACK!⁰⁰We’ll see you June 1st ???? pic.twitter.com/LptYcKOAZD
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) May 5, 2021
A move north had been expected, although the club had hoped to go directly from TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla., to Rogers Centre in Toronto. But with Ontario back in lockdown amid dangerously high daily COVID-19 case numbers, there was no chance of the federal government easing pandemic border rules for the Blue Jays.
The switch to Buffalo comes just as the heat and humidity of a Florida summer starts becoming oppressive. The Blue Jays have a 10-game homestand May 14-24 against Philadelphia, Boston and Tampa Bay set for their spring training home before moving.
They’re 7-4 at TD Ballpark so far.
The triple-A Buffalo Bisons, who won their season opener 6-1 on Tuesday night, last month announced plans to play this season out of Trenton, N.J., to accommodate both the Blue Jays’ expected arrival and renovations at Sahlen Field.
Among the improvements are a new, permanent home clubhouse, the transition of the old home clubhouse into a visitor’s clubhouse, the moving of the bullpens off the field and installation of new batting cages.
The changes, in part, were being made because the Blue Jays could not run the same set up they used in Buffalo last year with fans back in the stands.
The Blue Jays played in Buffalo in front of no fans for most home games in last year’s shortened season. Toronto made the expanded playoffs to qualify for post-season play for the first time since 2016 before being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays.
This year, the state of New York is allowing limited fans into sports venues. The Blue Jays say they will allow 24 per cent capacity at 16,600-seat Sahlen Field.
The Blue Jays say fans aged three and older must present proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the game.
Files from The Canadian Press were used in this report
