Major League Baseball insists it has not settled on any plans for how to begin the 2020 season, amid reports the league had set its sights on starting in May with all 30 teams playing games in Arizona in empty stadiums.

ESPN reported that games would be held in the greater Phoenix area and take place at Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, as well as 10 spring training facilities and possibly other nearby fields.

Players, coaches and other team officials would be isolated in local hotels and only travel to and from the stadium sites in an effort to avoid spreading coronavirus.

Federal officials reportedly support the plan that would allow MLB to become the first professional sport in the United States to return, but the league issued a statement on Tuesday saying nothing has been decided.

"MLB has been actively considering numerous contingency plans that would allow play to commence once the public health situation has improved to the point that it is safe to do so," the statement said.

"While we have discussed the idea of staging games at one location as one potential option, we have not settled on that option or developed a detailed plan.

"While we continue to interact regularly with governmental and public health officials, we have not sought or received approval of any plan from federal, state and local officials, or the Players' Association.

"We are not ready at this time to endorse any particular format for staging games in light of the rapidly changing public health situation caused by the coronavirus."

MLB pushed back the start of the season from March 26 until at least mid-May and suspended spring training games on March 12 following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation not to conduct events of 50 or more people for a minimum of eight weeks.