Entertainment Sports Baseball Is Back Tomorrow! Which Teams Are Playing and How to Watch Major League Baseball is making its long-awaited return — but the season will look much different than what fans are accustomed to seeing By Jason Hahn Jason Hahn Jason Hahn is a former Human Interest and Sports Reporter for PEOPLE. He started at PEOPLE's Los Angeles Bureau as a writer and reporter in 2017 and interviewed the likes of Kobe Bryant, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Brady. He has a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University. He previously worked for Complex Magazine in New York City. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 22, 2020 03:50 PM Share Tweet Pin Email John Starks/Daily Herald/AP. Baseball is making its return this week — but fans should be prepared, the season is going to look different than ever before. With coronavirus cases continuing to rise around the country, Major League Baseball made significant changes to their season to protect players from exposure. One of the biggest changes the MLB adopted is the shortening of its regular season to just 60 games, a move that was reached in agreement with the Major League Baseball Players Association after much back-and-forth. Along with this comes a list of new rules, such as teams in the National League being able to use a designated hitter for the first time ever, and extra innings starting off with a runner on second base. There will also be no in-person attendance for any games (sorry, fans). But for everything that's different, there is still so much to be excited when the regular season kicks off on Thursday. All the MLB Players Who Have Tested Positive for Coronavirus Ahead of Shortened Season Max Scherzer. Patrick Smith/Getty July 23 "Opening Night" games Opening Night on ESPN starts off with match-ups featuring four of the biggest teams in baseball. In the first game of the July 23 doubleheader, the New York Yankees are facing the Washington Nationals at 7:08 p.m. EST in the nation's capital. The Nationals, of course, beat the Houston Astros in the 2019 World Series to claim their first MLB championship in franchise history. Notably, Dr. Anthony Fauci — the country's top infectious disease expert —will be throwing out the first pitch at Nationals Park. Dr. Anthony Fauci to Throw Out First Pitch at Opening Game of Shortened MLB Season In the second game of the night, the San Franciso Giants visit their storied rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in Southern California at 10:08 p.m. EST. While it may seem like ages ago now, one of the biggest stories in the offseason was the allegations that the Astros cheated during their 2017 World Series victory over the Dodgers. Los Angeles is now entering the historic 60-game season as favorites to win the title, along with the Yankees. RELATED VIDEO: MLB Star Ian Desmond Opts Out of 2020 Season Due to COVID-19 Concerns: 'Home Is Where I Need to Be' July 24 "Opening Day" games For Opening Day on July 23, a plethora of games will be available on ESPN or local television: Atlanta Braves at New York Mets, 4:10 p.m. EST, (on ESPN)Detroit Tigers at Cincinnati Reds, 6:10 p.m. EST, (check local listings)Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays, 6:40 p.m. EST, (check local listings)Miami Marlins at Philadelphia Phillies, 7:05 p.m. EST, (check local listings)Kansas City Royals at Cleveland Indians, 7:10 p.m. EST, (check local listings)Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs, 7:10 p.m. EST, (on ESPN)Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox, 7:30 p.m. EST, (check local listings)Colorado Rockies at Texas Rangers, 8:05 p.m. EST, (check local listings)Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox, 8:10 p.m. EST, (check local listings)Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals, 8:15 p.m. EST, (check local listings)Seattle Mariners at Houston Astros, 9:10 p.m. EST, (check local listings)Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres, 9:10 p.m. EST, (check local listings)San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:40 p.m. EST, (check local listings)Los Angeles Angels at Oakland Athletics, 10:10 p.m. EST, (on ESPN)