Friday night was supposed to be a celebration of the game of baseball in Venezuela. The LVBP’s annual round robin playoffs just started with games played at two of the ballparks as the league entered its most important stretch in the season. It was the moment for the sport, but the shine didn’t really last that long.

Because hours later, after midnight, explosions rocked around Caracas as the United States military launched strikes. They ended up capturing the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro.

By the morning game, the entire country and the professional baseball league were in complete shock. Now, what does this mean for the Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional? Right now, it is not certain what will happen next. While no playoff games were scheduled in Caracas itself, given that both Leones del Caracas and Tiburones de La Guaira failed to qualify, the wider situation quickly affected the entire league.

There are fewer than 10 American players who are active in LVBP. There are some pliers whose whereabouts are still unknown to the team. Apart from that, more than 10,000 US citizens are apparently in Venezuela. One American player told World Baseball Network, “I’m ok. It’s normal here for now.” Another said his team had been told no games would be played until further notice.

After the capture of Maduro, the LVBP has now suspended play in its five-team, 16-game round-robin playoff. The league’s president told El Emergente that the league is currently evaluating the situation day by day and that it will be difficult to continue if what’s happening goes prolonged.

And the timing is the real pressure.

You see, Caribbean winter leagues must finish by early February before the MLB spring training begins. The LVBP cannot postpone the playoffs indefinitely. As of now, two games were scheduled for Saturday: Caribes de Anzoátegui vs. Navegantes del Magallanes in Valencia and Águilas del Zulia vs. Bravos de Margarita in Porlamar. Plus, additional games were set for Sunday. As of 3:30 p.m. EST Saturday, the games were listed as postponed on .

BeisbolPlay on Saturday afternoon even posted on Twitter that Palmisano confirmed that Round Robin action remains suspended temporarily and that the tournament has been put on pause. Venezuela is officially experiencing what is seen as a “state of shock.” For now, the future of the LVBP playoffs remains unclear.

Venezuelan MLB stars stuck in winter ball limbo

The Venezuelan big leaguers’ MLB off-season comes with a familiar routine. They head home, they suit up for their hometown clubs, and they soak in a few weeks of winter ball before spring training comes closer. But this time, the winter has clearly taken an unexpected turn.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported that the Milwaukee Brewers are still trying to figure out what’s happening with their Venezuelan players who are present in the country. The Brewers’ president of baseball operations, Matt Arnold, also admitted that they have very limited information as of now.

Arnold said, “We know the airports have been shut down, but not much beyond that.”

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One of the players on the list is Jackson Chourio, and he has appeared in eight games for Águilas del Zulia in his hometown of Maracaibo. With .400 with a home run and five RBIs, he looked like a superstar. On Friday night, he smashed a game-winning homer in the 10th inning of a 4–3 win over Navegantes de Magallanes.

Other players who are said to be in Venezuela include Angel Zerpa, William Contreras, Jeferson Quero, and Andruw Monasterio. And this uncertainty is not limited to the Brewers players only. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Giants outfielder Luis Matos and catcher Jesús Rodríguez are also in Venezuela playing winter ball.

However, Rodriguez has told the Chronicle that he is safe but simply unable to leave the country for a few days due to the uncertain flight shutdowns. For now, the teams, the leagues, the players, and the fans are all awaiting the offseason path back to spring training to clear soon, and that the players are all safe.