TORONTO, ON — The state of Pennsylvania won't allow the Toronto Blue Jays to play at PNC Park in Pittsburgh amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health made the announcement Wednesday. Earlier, two other officials said an agreement to share the stadium with the Pirates was pending state approval.
Canada denied the Blue Jays' request to play in Toronto because the regular-season schedule would require frequent travel back and forth from the United States, where COVID-19 cases are surging. Canada has flattened the epidemic curve.
Toronto's minor league team, the Buffalo Bisons, is among the locations being scouted for the Jays.
"The Bisons organization has been in discussion with the Blue Jays for several days about the possibility of hosting major league games at Sahlen Field this summer," said Mike Buczkowski, general manager for the Buffalo Bisons and president of Rich Baseball Operations. "We are continuing to explore the best ways to adapt the available spaces in our ballpark to meet the needs of the Blue Jays."
