Read Ian Desmond’s emotional post revealing reason for opting out of 2020 MLB season

The Colorado Rockies will be without Ian Desmond who opted out of the 2020 season.

Ian Desmond will not suit up for the Colorado Rockies in 2020, according to a post on his Instagram account. In the post, the two-time All-Star cites his obligation and duty as a family man as the reason for sitting out. Namely his pregnant wife and the need to be home for his oldest sons who are going through the COVID-19 outbreak and civil unrest.

Desmond also took the time to talk about issues within the major leagues as well. While it seems to be his family that was his deciding force, the issues plaguing the MLB were not lost on him as well. In his heartfelt post, Desmond talks about racial disparities in the majors, as well as the cheating scandal that rocked the world, as well as homophobic and racist rhetoric that he found to be truly problematic.

Read the full post here.

"If what Dick Lee knew to be true remains so – that baseball is about passing on what we’ve learned to those who come after us in hopes of bettering the future for others – then it seems to me that America’s pastime is failing to do what it could, just like the country it entertains.Think about it: right now in baseball we’ve got a labor war. We’ve got rampant individualism on the field. In clubhouses we’ve got racist, sexist, homophobic jokes, or flat-out problems. We’ve got cheating. We’ve got minority issue from the top down. One African American GM. Two African American managers. Less than 8% Black players. No Black majority team owners.Perhaps most disheartening of all is a puzzling lack of focus on understanding how to change those numbers. A lack of focus on making baseball accessible and possible for all kids, not just those who are privileged enough to afford it.If baseball is America’s pastime, maybe it’s never been a more fitting one than now.The COVID-19 pandemic has made this baseball season one that is a risk I am not comfortable taking. But that doesn’t mean I’m leaving baseball behind for the year. I’ll be right here, at my old Little League, and I’m working with everyone involved to make sure we get Sarasota Yough Baseball back on track. It’s what I can do, in the scheme of so much. So, I am.With a pregnant wife and four young children who have lots of questions about what’s going on in the world, home is where I need to be right now. Home for my wife, Chelsey. Home to help. Home to guide. Home to answer my older three boys’ questions about Coronavirus and Civil Rights and life. Home to be their Dad.Ian Desmond"

The loss of Desmond for the season will hurt. After coming over from the Washington Nationals in 2017, Desmond has been a key contributor for the club, playing at a variety of positions while averaging a .246 batting average, 21 home runs and 78 RBI’s over the last two seasons. This after an injury-plagued 2017 debut season for the Denver squad.

The news comes just a week after Charlie Blackmon had tested positive for COVID-19, something that may have affected Desmond’s decision to sit out the shortened season.