The Sunday Read: Leody Taveras looking like Rangers’ center fielder of the future

(AP photo/Tony Gutierrez)

ARLINGTON — Major-league baseball continues to discover how the COVID pandemic disrupted business as usual, aside from the shortening of the 2020 season and the cancelation of the minor-league season.

The disagreement between players and owners how many games to play and when to start further sowed distrust between the two sides, and that helped fuel the lockout that shortened spring training and delayed the 2022 season.

Closing down the minor leagues in 2020 led to the alternate-camp site, where a small group of players served as the reserve pool in case of injuries or a lack of performance. Teams also used the alternate camp as a development ground for top prospects.

Players who otherwise would have never sniffed the big leagues ended up making their MLB debuts. What seemed like a blessing at the time has been a curse for some.

Four players who debuted that year with the Rangers can attest to that.