MLB is moving a series between the Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates that was expected to take place in Puerto Rico at the end of May to Miami because of concerns about the Zika virus.
Jon Morosi of Fox Sports passed along the joint announcement of the change Friday from Major League Baseball and its players’ association. Jayson Stark of ESPN confirmed the news.
Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported the Pirates’ players vote not to go was unanimous.
A statement posted on MLB.com noted MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is still going to visit the country later this month:
In lieu of the games, MLB will stage several youth baseball and community events in Puerto Rico later this month, which will be attended by commissioner Manfred and several former MLB players. Both MLB and the Players Association also will make contributions to the CDC Foundation to assist the efforts to eradicate Zika in Puerto Rico.
The Associated Press (via the Los Angeles Times) passed along comments from Marlins player representative Tom Koehler after the team was briefed this week: “The information was more shocking to both sides. Maybe shocking isn’t the correct word, but there was a lot more information and data and numbers thrown our way that we didn’t have.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a Level 2 Alert posted for travel to Puerto Rico, which suggests practicing “enhanced precautions.” The notice states there has been reported mosquito transmission of the virus in Puerto Rico.
Sandee LaMotte of CNN reported the virus has attracted worldwide attention because of links to microcephaly. The neurological disorder causes babies to be born with “abnormally small heads,” and Brazilian officials are reportedly investigating 3,935 suspected cases of the serious health issue.
The Marlins and Pirates were originally scheduled to play two games in Puerto Rico on May 30 and 31 before returning to Miami for the final two games of the series. Instead, all four games will now take place at Marlins Park in Florida.
The contests were supposed to become part of the league’s efforts to reach out to other countries to grow the sport internationally. Back in March, Cuba hosted an exhibition between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban national team, which U.S. President Barack Obama attended.
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