MIAMI (AP) – There’s a very good chance the Miami Marlins’ two-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Puerto Rico will not be held there because of concerns about the Zika virus, a person familiar with the situation said Tuesday.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the teams said no decision had been made.
Marlins players attended a seminar on Zika that heightened concerns about playing the games in San Juan on May 30-31, team player representative Tom Koehler said. An announcement is expected by the end of the week regarding whether the games will be played as scheduled or moved, Koehler said.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave a presentation on the disease to the Marlins and representatives of Major League Baseball and the players’ union.
“The information was more shocking to both sides,” Koehler said. “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.”