Updated on June 30 at 8:26 p.m.

The District officially granted the Nationals a waiver on Tuesday to begin operations.

Training camp is set to begin Wednesday at Nats Park, but the organization needed permission from D.C. to waive restrictions, such as only permitting a maximum of 50 people at gatherings.

Camp will consist of 60 players and staff and mainly focus on individual and team workouts with some intrasquad games before the July 23rd Opening Day game against the New York Yankees.

D.C.’s waiver says the Nationals must follow MLB’s strict 101-page safety plan.

“We want to reiterate that no fans are to attend spring training or games, and that no restaurants at Nationals Park and none of the suites will be open during this phase of the pandemic,” writes Dr. Christopher Rodriguez, Director of D.C. Homeland Security & Emergency Management.

“One further condition of this waiver is that you consent to allow inspectors from DC Health and the DC
Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs to inspect facilities and practices to verify your compliance with the documents you have submitted.”

Original story continues below.

After more than a three-month delay due to COVID-19, the Washington Nationals are ready to defend their World Series title at Nats Park. But D.C. needs to approve their return to the city first.

On Tuesday night, after weeks long, tedious, and often acrimonious negotiations, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association came to an agreement that will bring baseball back starting next week — likely to home ballparks, according to the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.

However, there’s a potential hiccup for the Nationals. “Spring training 2.0” is expected to start on July 1, next Wednesday, at Nats Park with games getting underway as early as July 23.

However, as of now, D.C. remains in Phase Two, which prohibits the gathering of more than 50 people in outdoor stadiums. With roster sizes expected to include at least 30 players, plus coaches, trainers, and other personnel, there will certainly be more than 50 people gathered at Nats Park for any game or baseball-related activity.

It’s highly unlikely that D.C. will move to Phase Three by July 1, which would raise the mass gathering limit considering the city just moved to Phase Two on Monday.

The health and safety protocol manual first put together last month by MLB says that the league will strictly adhere to local laws. Washington Post sports reporter Barry Svrluga saw the manual (which has yet to be released publicly) and told DCist in May that, “Major League Baseball is not going to violate any local or state ordinances. MLB is extremely cognizant of circumstances in all of their cities, including D.C.”

So does that mean that the Nats won’t be able to start preparing for the season at South Capitol Street on July 1? No, not necessarily.

The mayor’s office is developing a waiver application process that would allow the Nationals — and other sports teams that plan on exceeding the mass gathering limit — to apply for the right to do so and proceed with their seasons.

In May, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s chief of staff, John Falcicchio, confirmed this via an emailed statement to DCist: “We are in touch with Major League Baseball and the Nationals. We have not received a waiver request for training at Nationals Park in June, but [the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency] is reviewing the League’s protocol for games to return in July.”

The mayor’s office did confirm today that the Nationals have submitted a waiver application, and the city is reviewing it. In addition, they also confirmed that both D.C. United and the Washington Wizards have had their waivers approved, setting the stage for both teams and their respective leagues to return to play in July.

The mayor’s office didn’t provide a reason why the waivers for the Wizards and United have been approved, but not the Nationals as of yet. It could be simply related to the timeline in which various leagues came to terms to restart their seasons. Both Major League Soccer and the National Basketball Season decided several weeks ago, while MLB only resolved this Tuesday night.

The Washington Nationals did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

Even after securing a waiver, the Nats and every other team will still need to adhere to social distancing like everyone else. According to MASN, workouts during “spring training 2.0” will be staggered throughout the day and evening to provide ample room for players to exercise and social distance. Normally at spring training complexes, there are four or more practice fields. At Nats Park, there’s only one.

As for how the games will be played safely, the 101-page manual calls for a ban on spitting and high-fiving, discourages showering at the stadium, requests multiple COVID-19 tests per week for players, and provides the option for high-risk individuals — or anyone with a household member in a high-risk group — to sit out the season. As noted by the Washington Post, Nationals’ reliever Sean Doolittle’s wife Eireann Dolan has asthma.

Additionally, all games will be played without fans in attendance.

Already, MLB players and staff have tested positive for coronavirus. The Philadelphia Phillies announced Tuesday that 12 players and staff have tested positive, most of whom spent time at their training complex in Clearwater, Florida; the team quickly shut down the complex. The Toronto Blue Jays did the same after a pitcher tested positive. Reportedly, Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon also has COVID-19.

According to reports, if players or staff do test positive during the season, games will continue as the infected isolate and recover. But the question remains about what happens if large swaths of players and staff contract the virus — or even a whole team.

Ultimately, the Washington Nationals’ title defense may not depend on waivers or wins, but rather if MLB can actually complete the season as cases spike in some states and a feared second wave looms.

As Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brett Anderson tweeted on Monday night, “What happens when we all get it?”