The MLB lockout is, mercifully, over as the MLB owners and the MLBPA have agreed, in principle, to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Since a deal was agreed upon at such a late date, there are a lot of moving parts with the changes in a deal and the changes that are having to be made as a result of the lockout. The Colorado Rockies have a wrench thrown into things more than other teams, though.
Originally, the Rockies were supposed to open the season against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles on March 31. However, with a deal being agreed upon on March 10, Opening Day will not happen until April 7 … for most teams.
The Colorado Rockies will face the Los Angeles Dodgers on Opening Day on April 8, not April 7
On the original calendar, April 7 was an off day for the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers. As a result, the two teams will not play on “Opening Day” for most of the rest of baseball. Instead, they will open the season against the Dodgers on April 8 at Coors Field.
So the MLB season will start one week later than originally scheduled (March 31 to April 7-8), the regular season will end three days later. The rest of the games will be made up in off days or doubleheaders so all 162 games will be played in 2022.
The games that the Rockies will have to make up are a series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in L.A. and a series with the San Diego Padres in San Diego.
MLB players can report to Spring Training as soon as Friday with a mandatory report date by Sunday (for players that don’t require a visa).
Spring Training games will start one week from tomorrow (Friday, March 18), where the Rockies will have a split-squad day with one game against Oakland at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, Ariz. and against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Field at Talking Stick in a home game for the Rockies.
UPDATE (Friday afternoon): The Rockies have released a new Spring Training schedule. Their first Cactus League game will take place on Thursday, March 17 and they will play one game at Salt River Field at Talking Stick against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Scottsdale.