Major League Baseball has postponed two games on Wednesday night due to air quality being negatively impacted by the Canadian wildfires in Quebec. Yankees vs. White Sox in New York and Phillies vs. Tigers in Philadelphia have both been pushed back and rescheduled to play Thursday. Nationals vs. Diamondbacks in Washington D.C., however, will be played as scheduled.
"These postponements were determined following conversations throughout the day with medical and weather experts and all of the impacted clubs regarding clearly hazardous air quality conditions in both cities," the league said in an announcement.
Health advisories have been put in place across the Northeast this week with areas like New York City blanketed in smoke from the wildfires.
MLB games impacted by wildfires
- Phillies vs. Tigers, 6:05 p.m. ET -- Status: Postponed. Will be made up Thursday, June 8.
- Yankees vs. White Sox, 7:05 p.m. ET -- Status: Postponed. Will be made up as part of doubleheader on Thursday, June 8.
- Nationals vs. Diamondbacks, 7:05 p.m. ET -- Status: Will be played as scheduled
Here's a look at Yankee Stadium as of Wednesday afternoon:
And scene inside Yankee Stadium… pic.twitter.com/ocPBsPk0ZB
— Erik Boland (@eboland11) June 7, 2023
Some professional baseball games had already been postponed because of the wildfires. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and the Syracuse Mets -- the Triple-A affiliates of the Yankees and Mets, respectively -- both postponed home games on Tuesday night. The RailRiders said the decision was made out of "an abundance of caution for potential health concerns."
Other pro sports have also called off games on Wednesday. The NWSL postponed a Gotham FC-Orlando Pride game in New York and the WNBA is calling off a Liberty-Lynx game in Brooklyn.
The Yankees did play against the White Sox on Tuesday night in the Bronx, and the effects of the low air quality were visible throughout the night. While the two teams played, the sky's distinct color was impossible to ignore:
In a report from The Athletic, climate scientist Dan Westervelt said the conditions are "pretty unprecedented in New York." The National Weather Service has issued an air quality alert until midnight on Wednesday in New York due to "widespread haze, and "patchy smoke."
According to CBS News, New York City is second only to Delhi, India, for the worst air quality and pollution out of 100 tracked countries as of Wednesday morning. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has said the state recommends "vulnerable New Yorkers stay inside."
"This is an unprecedented event in our city, and New Yorkers must take precautions," Adams said. "At the moment, we recommend vulnerable New Yorkers stay inside, and all New Yorkers should limit outdoor activity to the greatest extent possible."
