Major League Baseball has canceled the first week of spring training games through March 4 in the first public acknowledgement of the disruption caused by the lockout.
The work stoppage was in its 79th day Friday, a day after economic talks between the management and the Major League Baseball Players Association lasted just 15 minutes.
Negotiators are set to resume talks on core economics on Monday, and MLB said members of the owners’ negotiating committee will attend the session, just the seventh on the central issues of the dispute since the lockout began Dec. 2.
Exhibition games had been set to start Feb. 26 in Florida and Arizona.
The threat to opening day on March 31 also appeared to intensify Thursday when the drawn-out talks to end lockout ended just 15 minutes after they had resumed following a four-day break.
After just the sixth meeting on core economics since the lockout began on Dec. 2, management on Thursday attributed the lack of length to having nothing to talk about.
Spring training workouts had been scheduled to start earlier this week, with games starting Feb. 26.
