MLB extends labor deal deadline after talks stretch into wee hours

Jupiter, Florida — Major League Baseball extended its deadline for reaching a labor deal to Tuesday at 5 p.m. for salvaging Opening Day as scheduled on March 31.

Locked-out players and team owners engaged in a series of intense negotiations that began Monday and stretched into early Tuesday morning as the sides attempted to forge the path to an agreement. They halted talks for the night around 2:30 a.m. and planned to resume at 11 a.m.

As the lockout reached its 90th day, players and owners made progress toward a deal but remained far apart on key issues.