MLB's opening day marked by a COVID-19 postponement, weather impacts and limited fans

nuttiwut rodbangpong/iStock(NEW YORK) — COVID-19- and weather-related postponements and limited but enthusiastic fans marked MLB’s highly anticipated opening day.

Stadiums across the country welcomed back fans Thursday for the first time in over a year, after teams played to mostly empty or cardboard cutout-filled stands last season due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Both the pandemic and inclement weather made for some day-of derailments. Thursday evening’s Washington Nationals home game against the New York Mets was postponed amid “ongoing contact tracing” among members of the Nationals organization, the team announced.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the game will not be made up on