Nats' Zimmerman: Not playing in front of fans 'would be brutal'

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.

Ryan Zimmerman is the Washington Nationals' longest-tenured player. The first baseman was with the organization when it recorded some of the National League's worst attendance numbers a decade ago, so he understands the importance of having fans in ballparks.

Major League Baseball reportedly proposed a plan in early April to potentially host games without fans while players remain in isolation, and Zimmerman doesn't seem enthused about the idea.

"Am I OK with it? I mean, I think it would be brutal," Zimmerman said Monday, according to Todd Dybas of NBC Sports Washington.

"I tell (my wife) Heather this all the time; sometimes on a Wednesday in July it's really hard to get really pumped up to play a Major League Baseball game, as sad as that sounds. So when I run out on the field, I need the fans. The fans almost make me get up and be like, yeah, this is why I play. This is why I enjoy coming out on a Wednesday in June because it's fun to play and hear the fans and hear the roars."

The CDC is recommending public gatherings of 50-plus people be limited until at least mid-May. After that, things remain up in the air for most major sports, MLB included.

While playing in muted environments wouldn't be ideal for Zimmerman or his fellow big leaguers, the 35-year-old understands that players may have to do something out of the ordinary to help end the spread of COVID-19.

"It'd be an interesting environment," Zimmerman said. "I think a lot of us are kind of willing to do whatever it takes to get sports back and I think realistically, if we want to get it back sooner than later it's going to have to be without fans in the stands. So, we'll see what happens. The short answer is it would be really tough. But, I think a lot of us would be willing to sacrifice and do it."