Chicago Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward decided to sit out Wednesday's game against the Detroit Tigers, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN.
Heyward was originally listed as a healthy scratch; his choice to sit comes three days after police shot Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.
"I encouraged them to play. I didn't think the game should be canceled," Heyward said following the game, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network.
Colorado Rockies outfielder Matt Kemp also shared on Instagram that he won't be playing against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, specifically naming Blake as well as George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in his reasoning:
The Rockies' game against the Diamondbacks began as scheduled at 9:40 p.m. ET, hours after Kemp announced he would sit out.
NBA players - originating with the Milwaukee Bucks - opted to walk out on games Wednesday, leading to league-wide postponements. Shortly after the postponements were announced by the NBA, the MLB's Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds also voted not to play, followed by the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres.