The late start to the season will give the Yankees plenty of time to heal and ensure they’re prepared to feature their starting team.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused every sports league to shut down operations and adapt to the new way of life during a global crisis. It’s essential to be aware of the severity of the virus and how it’s affecting the country, and sports are in flux because of it.

The Yankees have sat idly while the virus progresses and moves through the nation, informally working out from their homes and staying connected via zoom and other video-chat meetings. Most players have returned to their homes after cases spiked in Florida, around their facilities. Gerrit Cole purchased a house down in Florida near Aaron Boone, so the pair have been in contact and have played catch on a few occasions.

The extra tie has given players like Aaron Judge, James Paxton, and Giancarlo Stanton time to heal. If the league were to start today, Stanton would be eligible to return but would need live reps in the minors to work his way up to form. Judge is still healing from a stress fracture in a rib that was diagnosed late, and Paxton was projected to return in early-May.

With talks of the league returning in the next few months, the Yankees would have most of their starters back. Playing in Arizona with no fans would undoubtedly be a problematic situation, but it would at least give solace to fans waiting for the start of fans.

The idea behind baseball in Arizona stems from ten ballparks within a 50-mile radius. The heat is also an important factor to consider, as the virus reportedly cannot stand temperatures over 77 degrees. The league is considering triple-headers in the Diamondbacks’ Chase Field, which has a retractable roof.