Updated Aug 26, 2020 - Sports

Milwaukee Brewers opt out of playing tonight after NBA's Jacob Blake boycott

Rashaan Ayesh

Photo: Lawrence Iles/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Milwaukee Brewers have decided not to play their scheduled game against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, joining the Milwaukee Bucks and other NBA teams' protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, according to the Wall Street Journal and ESPN.

The latest: The Seattle Mariners, which has more Black players on its roster than any team in the MLB, has voted not to play its game against the San Diego Padres.

Why it matters: Unlike the NBA, the MLB is comprised of majority white players and has not taken the same aggressive approach to promoting social justice messages during its coronavirus-shortened season.

Brewers pitcher and union representative Brent Suter told reporters: "Our team and the Reds felt that with our community and our nation in such pain, tonight we wanted 100% of the focus to be on issues that are much more important than baseball."
More MLB teams are reportedly considering calling off their games tonight, according to ESPN.

The state of play: The Brewers' decision comes after the NBA announced it will postpone three playoff games in the wake of nationwide unrest over racism and police brutality. The Milwaukee Bucks, which play just 40 miles from Kenosha, where Blake was shot, were the first NBA team to boycott their game Wednesday.

Go deeper: NBA postpones all of tonight's playoff games after Milwaukee boycott

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Milwaukee Brewers opt out of playing tonight after NBA's Jacob Blake boycott

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