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Dodgers & Padres could open 2024 season in South Korea, per report

Would be the first MLB regular season games in South Korea

MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres
How many games would the potential Dodgers-Padres series in South Korea last?
Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers could open the 2024 season against the Padres in South Korea, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune:

The plan, according to sources, is for the two National League West rivals to open the ‘24 season with the first MLB games ever played in South Korea.

The two-game series would be played in late March.

Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic also reported that the Dodgers “are on the short list of clubs who could play in Korea next season.”

From Dennis Lin at The Athletic:

The collective bargaining agreement between MLB owners and players, which runs from 2022-26, called for “a robust international play plan in which Clubs will stage games or tours in Mexico, Asia, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, London, and Paris over the next five years in order to grow the game.”

This year, the Giants and Padres played two games in Mexico City on April 28-29, and the Cubs and Cardinals are set to play two games in London this June 24-25.

Having the games in late March fits with the pattern of every other regular season game that’s been played in Asia or Australia. Major League Baseball has played games in Tokyo in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2019, all two-game series and all in March, all at least four days before domestic opening day. Similarly, the when Dodgers and Diamondbacks opened the 2014 season in Sydney, they played spring training games in the week in between that series and domestic opening day.

MLB regular season games in Asia & Australia

Year Teams Location Dates Domestic opening day
Year Teams Location Dates Domestic opening day
2000 Cubs vs. Mets Tokyo March 29-30 Apr 3
2004 Devil Rays vs. Yankees Tokyo March 30-31 Apr 4
2008 Red Sox vs. A's Tokyo March 25-26 Mar 30
2012 Mariners vs. A's Tokyo March 28-29 Apr 4
2014 Dodgers vs. D-backs Sydney March 22-23 Mar 30
2019 Mariners vs. A's Tokyo March 20-21 Mar 28

Playing a game in South Korea would mark the third time the Dodgers will have played regular season games outside the United States or Canada. They also played in a three-game series in Monterrey, Mexico in 2018, a series that included Walker Buehler and three relief pitchers combining on a no-hitter, to date the last no-hitter in franchise history.