ARLINGTON, Texas _ The Texas Rangers agreed to not play their scheduled game Thursday night after the Oakland A's opted to boycott the finale of a four-game series to bring more attention to racial injustice following the Jacob Blake police shooting in Wisconsin.
The Rangers were waiting for official word, though several reports and a source said the game was off.
The teams played Wednesday as the NBA, led by the Milwaukee Bucks, boycotted its three playoff games. The Milwaukee Brewers and five other MLB teams followed suit, and players from other teams chose to not play.
Rangers manager Chris Woodward said there was some uncertainty Wednesday as the A's discussed the situation. Oakland manager Bob Melvin said the team didn't have enough time to make a final decision, so they chose to play and tabled the discussion until Thursday.
The A's return to Globe Life Field on Sept. 11-13, when the game will be made up as part of a doubleheader.
Oakland has three Black players on its active roster _ Marcus Semien, Tony Kemp and Khris Davis _ and the Rangers have one, left-hander Taylor Hearn. Outfielder Willie Calhoun, who is on the injured list, is also Black, as are coaches Tony Beasley and Callix Crabbe.
Calhoun took to social media Thursday to express his feelings, writing in an Instagram post that he wants to use his platform and his voice to make the world "a better place for ALL."
"It breaks my heart that it is 2020 and we are still talking about RACISM!" Calhoun said. "As I reflect back on recent acts of racial injustice and prejudice that our country has been faced with, I challenged myself to not only see what I can do to effectively make a change, but also bring awareness to what others may face during these difficult times."
