SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Whether or not the Padres head to the World Series, Petco Park may still see playoff baseball this season.
Under a plan by the MLB, a neutral-site playoff format with teams living in a "bubble" may be finalized next week, though it is awaiting approval by the Players Association, according to ESPN.
The plan states that playoffs would start with the top four seeds in the AL and NL hosting all the games in a best-of-three wild-card series: the AL games between Sept. 29 and Oct. 1 and the NL games between Sept. 30 and Oct. 2.
The highest AL seed would be the home team for the division series at Petco Park in San Diego, while the other series heads to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The AL championship series would then be played at Petco Park.
On the NL side, the top seed into the division series would play at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, and the next-highest seed would play at Minute Maid Park in Houston. The NL championship series would be hosted in Arlington.
The MLB's reported plan would begin the World Series on Oct. 20 at Arlington and end no later than Oct. 28.
ESPN reports that the Players Association is considering concerns from players who have lived outside of the bubble format, similar to how the NBA has operated this season, with the ability to be around family and friends. Inside the proposed playoff plan, teams would operate in a bubble to prevent exposure between players, staff, and others.
