Rob Manfred wants Major League Baseball to be ready to take the field whenever government and health officials give the go-ahead.
"I think it's incumbent upon us to turn over every stone to try to play the game in 2020 if there's any way we can in the environment," the commissioner said.
Spring training was suspended March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic and the season's scheduled start on March 26 was delayed indefinitely.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended all gatherings of 50 people or more be put off through mid-May.
"We have tried to be cautious about trying to go too soon, based on what the public health situation is," Manfred said. "For people to be out there saying we're not going to have any sports in 2020, I think that's going the other way. I think we all need, no matter what your predilection is, to wait for the situation to unfold more, give us more information and then make realistic decisions about what's possible."