Several Major League Baseball teams are grappling with COVID-19 outbreaks. The Cincinnati Reds are also facing their own COVID-19 concerns. The league’s re-opening struggles starkly underline challenges about re-opening that society needs to face.

First, re-opening will feature some element of trial and error. That’s not only true for sports leagues but for all organizations. Major League Baseball is currently dealing with a hot mess. With major outbreaks within the Miami Marlins and St.Louis Cardinals organizations. Both causing numerous postponements roughly a week into this MLB season.

How the league cleans up this mess is a lingering question. Containing any outbreak is the most important way to start. Along with figuring out how these outbreaks began and spread. Figure out what mistakes were made and try not to repeat them. This is both a baseball season and an informal experiment. This experiment is a major reason why I’ve wanted this baseball season to happen. MLB is producing a template for playing in the age of COVID-19.

Providing examples of the best and worst practices for all to learn from. So we can figure out the best ways to have sporting events proceed in this new reality. Testing out whether leagues can proceed with games outside of neutral site bubbles. Along with figuring out the best ways to contain an outbreak within teams. Society needs to find ways to adjust to the new reality brought on by this virus. That doesn’t mean cowering at the first sign of trouble. Nor does that mean we just re-open as if nothing happened.

Second, battling COVID-19 requires a unified team effort. Unfortunately, America generally hasn’t approached this crisis in a unified manner. Baseball teams and various sports leagues are mirroring American society in that regard. The inconsistency of mask wearing in games is a prime example. Even by the Reds, a team with at least one (Matt Davidson) COVID-19 case. Many players and coaches have masks on in the dugout. However, some batters aren’t wearing them when they’re batting or on base.

Third, this is not a time to throw caution to the wind. Despite not setting the best example through inconsistent mask wearing. The Reds set a good example through being cautious. At least showing more caution than the Marlins early on. Through benching two players even though they fortunately don’t have COVID-19.

Mike Moustakas and Nick Senzel both tested negative for COVID-19. Prompting a sigh of relief for Reds fans and personnel. Both missed three games after feeling ill on Sunday. Staying home out of a reasonable abundance of caution. After all, they fell ill hours after Davidson’s positive test.

This is not a moment for players or coaches to cling to a “play through the pain” culture. Doing so in this case could result in an outbreak that ends the season. Cincinnati’s situation shows that when it comes to COVID-19; it’s better to be safe than sorry. As a result of their cautious approach, no Reds games have been postponed due to an outbreak. Their only game postponed so far was due to inclement weather. While the Marlins have postponed one week’s worth of games. After playing last Sunday despite already dealing with several COVID-19 cases.

If this MLB season is going to be completed safely; teams will need to treat this pandemic seriously. Not being afraid to be overcautious and approaching this crisis with a full team effort.