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All 30 MLB teams will extend protective netting this season

The extended netting has been a key safety issue for the league in recent years, as wayward balls and bats have resulted in gruesome injuries for fans.
Jul 14, 2017; New York City, NY, USA; A fan reacts after being hit in the head while trying to catch a foul ball at Citi Field. New netting was installed in Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Major League Baseball announced Thursday morning that all 30 of its teams will have extended netting at their respective ballparks in 2018.

The netting, which aims to protect fans in field level seats from low-flying foul balls and broken bats, will stretch to at least the far end of each dugout, according to a press release.

"Providing baseball fans with a variety of seating options when they come to the ballpark, including seats behind protective netting, is important," commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "Major League Clubs are constantly evaluating the coverage and design of their ballpark netting and I am pleased that they are providing fans an increased inventory of protected seats."

The extended netting has been a key safety issue for the league in recent years, as wayward balls and bats have resulted in gruesome injuries for fans. A young girl was struck by a 105-mph foul ball at Yankee Stadium in September, two months after a similar incident at the same stadium. In other instances, like a 2015 incident at Fenway Park in Boston, shards of broken bats have flown into the crowd and led to severe injuries.

The league officially recommended extended netting prior to the 2016 season, but Manfred said in 2017 it could not unilaterally implement changes due to design variances in the 30 ballparks.

The Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays were two of the final teams to announce that they extend netting at their stadiums, following a wave of similar announcements over the past month

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