A pair of Major League Baseball games scheduled to be played in Puerto Rico later this month will be relocated to Miami due to growing concerns among players over the Zika virus in the area.
The games between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins originally scheduled to be held in San Juan on May 30-31 have been relocated to Marlins Park, MLB and the Players Association said in a joint statement on Friday.
MLB and the Players Association did everything possible to address the concerns and keep the games in Puerto Rico, but despite extensive efforts they were unable to develop a workable solution, according to the statement.
Players and staff of both clubs received briefings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the risks associated with the Zika virus, and Manfred decided that nobody should be forced to travel to Puerto Rico.
Zika, a virus known to cause the birth defect microcephaly, first began spreading in Puerto Rico in December and there are now nearly 700 confirmed cases of Zika on the Caribbean island.
MLB, @MLB_PLAYERS postpone 2-game series in Puerto Rico between @Pirates, @Marlins; May 30-31 games move to Miami. https://t.co/WnlebSSq3Z
— MLB (@MLB) May 6, 2016
