In a conversation with Mike Greenberg for ESPN’s “The Return of Sports” special, Manfred walked back comments made to ESPN last week, when he said “unequivocally we are going to play Major League Baseball this year” and pegged the likelihood at “100 percent.”

“I’m not confident. I think there’s real risk; and as long as there’s no dialogue, that real risk is gonna continue,” Manfred said when asked if he was confident there would be a season.

The chance that there will be no season increased substantially Monday when the commissioner’s office told the players’ association it will not proceed with a schedule unless the union waives its right to claim management violated a March agreement between the feuding sides.