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The Nationals say first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and pitcher Joe Ross will not play this season for health and safety reasons related to the coronavirus pandemic. D’backs pitcher and former Cardinal Mike Leake has also decided not to play along with Colorado outfielder Ian Desmond. They are the first four MLB players to announce they are opting not to play this year because of the pandemic.

The defending Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues are back for phase of the NHL’s return to play plan. The playoff will resume in two hub cities and team captain Alex Pietrangelo says separating from family during the playoff run will be the most difficult. Last year’s Stanley Cup MVP Ryan O’Reilly says defending the Cup is always hard, but this year will be more difficult with the restart right into the playoffs.