Manfred: All 30 ballparks will have expanded netting in 2020

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred announced Wednesday that all 30 ballparks will have extended netting in place for Opening Day 2020, according to Jayson Stark of The Athletic.

All protective netting will extend down the foul lines and beyond the ends of the dugouts, though the exact length will differ based on each stadium's unique dimensions.

Seven ballparks will have netting extend fully to the foul poles, with one of those being the Oakland Athletics' RingCentral Coliseum, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Fifteen more will protect those seated at least partway down the lines, up to the point where the stands curve away from the field, according to Stark.

Multiple ballparks extended their netting to at least the ends of the dugouts during the last few years. However, calls from both fans and players for added protection grew louder during the 2019 season after multiple fans were injured by foul balls, including a small child in Houston who suffered serious injuries.

The Chicago White Sox became the first team to expand their netting to cover both foul poles shortly after that incident. The changes at Guaranteed Rate Field were implemented midseason, and several other ballparks followed by year's end.