Major League Baseball is back.

But many players — including three Butler County products — aren't sure where they're going.

Seneca Valley graduate Kevan Smith signed a minor league contract with Tampa Bay in the off-season and got off to a good start as a non-roster catcher in the Rays' spring training camp.

“I was feeling good, healthy, hitting well, catching well,” Smith said. “I was meshing well with the pitching staff, as if I'd been playing there for a number of years.

“Then it all shuts down. Now we're told to report on July 1. But what does that mean for players in my position? Nobody knows.”

Smith turns 32 Sunday. He received an early birthday present Tuesday night, his wife giving birth to their daughter. The couple also has a 2-year-old son.

Major league rosters will be at 30 for the first two weeks of the regular season, which starts July 23. The active rosters will eventually pare to 28, then 26. Each team will have 60 players in camp.

Teams must submit their list of 60 players to the major league office by 4 p.m. Sunday.

Whoever doesn't make the active roster will be kept around as part of a “taxi squad” to possibly be called up later.

Smith has a clause in his contract enabling him to opt out in June. Of course, that was under the pretense of a normal regular season.

“I don't know where that stands now,” he said of his opt-out clause. “There are layers and layers of issues with different players here, related to their contract situations.

“I know St. Petersburg can't house 60 players, so (the Rays) will also have to use Port Charlotte, their spring training base. If I'm on the active roster, that's all good, but if I'm sitting at our spring training facility, not making any money, I don't know how good that would be for myself or my family.”

Mars graduate David Bednar made his major league debut with San Diego last September. The relief pitcher entered spring training this year hoping to break camp with the big club.

Now he's hoping to just be able to play some baseball.

“I know he's been throwing a lot of bullpen sessions over the past two months,” former Mars coach Andy Bednar, David's father, said. “He's just working his tail off, hoping for an opportunity.”

Being on the Padres' 40-man roster, Bednar will be one of the 60 players in camp when it re-opens.

“There are a lot of unknowns right now,” he said. “The way I see it, I'll have three weeks to pitch my way on to the roster and that's what I'll try to do.

“It will be all about performance.”

And if he's not one of the 30 players on the Opening Day roster?

“There's a lot of details they haven't ironed out yet,” Bednar said. “I have no idea where we'll go. I'm just excited we're getting going again. I'm excited to play baseball.”

Butler graduate Colin McKee — a Class AA relief pitcher in the Houston Astros organization — is hoping to be among the 60 players invited to the new spring training next week.

“I haven't heard anything yet, but I imagine I will in the next one to three days,” McKee said. “I've tried to stay informed with everything that's been going on, but you don't want to get too caught up in it.

“You have to focus on the things you can control.”

McKee has been working out as if he will receive an invitation to spring training.

“I have to approach it that way,” he said. “I'd rather be over-prepared and not get invited than be under-prepared and get invited.

“If I'm not invited to spring training, I'll continue to work out. I'll just scale it down a bit since I won't have a season.”

Smith has been working out at La Roche University with Neil Walker, Andrew McCutchen, Josh Bell, Pittsburgh Pirate coach Don Kelly and others.

“The weather's been good and we've been able to be outside,” Smith said. “We're seeing some live pitching now, just helping each other out.”

With the 2020 season reduced to 60 games, Smith is happy he's not a young prospect.

“This is not a time for development,” he said. “Teams are going to want game-ready guys. Every game will mean too much.

“The first week or two of games, it may be like spring training games where some guys play the first half of the game, other guys the second half. Or they may play all the starters nine innings and just go.

“Some of the heavy-contract guys may choose not to play, this may not be worth it to them. Players are in their own unique situations like that. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out,” Smith added.