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The thick, smoky fog that engulfed Yankee Stadium on Wednesday afternoon created an interesting atmosphere for Carlos Rodon's rehab work. As the Yankees lefty took the mound at around 3:15 p.m., visibility was not great due to the hazy conditions. Describing the scene, Rodon said: "It was a little cloudy out there. The visibility was not so great. It was interesting."
Unfortunately, the scheduled 7:05 p.m. game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox had to be postponed due to hazardous air quality caused by Canadian wildfires. Instead, a single ission doubleheader was set for Thursday at 4:05 p.m., though the clarity of conditions remained uncertain.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed uncertainty about the conditions for the next day's games: "We'll see." He revealed that Luis Severino would start the opener, while rookie Randy Vasquez would take the mound for the nightcap.
The decision to postpone the game was made during a conference call between Major League Baseball officials and Yankees executives. Prior to the call, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner was seen in the dugout discussing the situation with general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone.
Boone had initially underestimated the adverse playing conditions until he set foot on the field around 2 p.m. and was taken aback by the heavy, orange-tinted haze. Consequently, the Yankees canceled their scheduled outdoor batting practice and informed players that they would conduct their activities indoors.
There will be a doubleheader tomorrow, if possible
Fans holding tickets for Wednesday's game will not be able to use them for the Thursday doubleheader. The gates at Yankee Stadium will open at 3 p.m. on Thursday, and the second game will commence no earlier than 7:05 p.m. If the opener extends beyond 6:35 p.m., the start of Game 2 will be approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 1.