Hazardous smoke from Canadian wildfires forced Major League Baseball to postpone games for a second consecutive day, with poor air quality in Washington pushing Thursday’s Nationals-Arizona Diamondbacks game off the schedule.
MLB announced that game will be made up at Nationals Park on June 22, when the Nationals and Diamondbacks have a mutual off day to finish their three-game series. It said Thursday’s game was postponed due to “clearly hazardous air conditions in Washington DC”
But as the smoke persists and conditions remain unhealthy and unpleasant to be outside watching a game – let alone play in one – the league is losing flexibility.
Thursday’s air quality worsened in Washington and remained poor in Philadelphia, where Wednesday’s Detroit Tigers-Phillies game was postponed; the clubs simply moved the game back to 6 ET Thursday evening. But as of Thursday morning, air quality remained very unhealthy in Philadelphia and an advisory runs through at least Friday morning.
And the Yankees and Chicago White Sox are aiming to play a doubleheader in New York beginning at 4 ET Thursday, with conditions improving but air quality still in the unhealthy range Thursday morning.
MLB said additional updates may be forthcoming.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB postpones Nationals-Diamondbacks game because of smoke