#Nationals may need new 2020 home field because of coronavirus protocols

Due to local coronavirus protocols, the team is unsure if they will open the season playing at Nationals Park, The Post’s Joel Sherman confirmed. The team is scheduled to host the Yankees in its opener on July 23.

The Washington Post was the first to report the possible venue change.

Players, coaches and staff will have to quarantine for 14 days if any of them are exposed to the virus, and the team is unsure if it will be able to operate under those guidelines.

If they do indeed decide to play elsewhere, the Nationals are looking at two alternate sites – their Class A stadium in Fredericksburg, Va. and their spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Fla.

According to the MLB’s safety protocols, if a player is exposed to the coronavirus, he must test negative, be asymptomatic, undergo temperature tests and symptom monitoring for at least 10 days, wear a mask at all times except when on the field and undergo a daily saliva test for a week after exposure.

Although DC’s mandatory 14-day quarantine is not among the league’s requirements, government protocols take precedence over the MLB’s.

Since spring training 2.0 started on July 3, eight Nationals players and one coach have had to enter the city’s mandatory 14-day quarantine.