Cubs manager David Ross and veteran outfielder Jason Heyward spoke Thursday in Arizona about how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the MLB season and the team.

Hours before the Cubs were set to play a Cactus League game at Sloan Park, Major League Baseball made the decision to suspend spring training action and push the start of the regular season back at least two weeks. 

“The main thing is communication and how we’re gonna go about our business,” Ross said. “There are some things we had to adjust to, but I think that’s healthy with the fact that there’s adjustments all season long with whatever may come up. Whether it’s the trip to London or not, how the season starts or not, all the speculation, we can drive ourselves crazy about that.

“Controlling what we can control is a message I’ve been pounding since I’ve gotten here, so this is just another instance of that.”

Heyward understands this situation is bigger than baseball and is focused on his family and his teammates:

“I’m more worried about going and saying hello to my parents — they’re 62, 63 years old,” Heyward said. “People’s kids — I got teammates with kids, relatives. I’m just more worried about that — the safety of everybody else that may not be able to fight it off.”