Blue Jays extend Buffalo stay through July 21

The Toronto Blue Jays will stay in Buffalo until at least July 21, according to John Wawrow of The Associated Press.

The team previously committed to playing in Buffalo only through July 4, which would be the final home game before the All-Star break.

Now, immediately after All-Star week, a six-game homestand featuring a pair of three-game sets against the Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox will be played at Sahlen Field. After that, the next homestand would begin on July 30.

The Blue Jays have played all home games away from Toronto's Rogers Centre since the beginning of the 2020 campaign. After playing the entire pandemic-shortened season in Buffalo, the Blue Jays opened the year at their spring training facility in Dunedin. The Blue Jays returned to Sahlen Field following two months in Florida.

The team is allowing fans to attend games in Buffalo at 80% capacity.

Sahlen Field is typically the home of the Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons. With the minor-league season also underway, the Bisons have begun their year playing games out of Trenton, New Jersey.

Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Canadian border remains closed to all non-essential travel.

Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro recently discussed with Sportsnet's Shi Davidi the complications of returning to Toronto but didn't rule it out.