Blue Jays first home game in Buffalo delayed until Aug. 11

The Toronto Blue Jays will play their first “home” game in Buffalo on Aug. 11 against the Miami Marlins as infrastructure upgrades are completed at Sahlen Field.

The news was first reported by Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae.

“To accommodate necessary infrastructure modifications for Major League play, as well as safety requirements outlined in the MLB Operations Manual, the Blue Jays will play its first scheduled homestand – July 29 to August 2 – on the road in Washington and Philadelphia,” the team said in a statement released Sunday night.

The Blue Jays were denied approval to play home games at the Rogers Centre by the federal government over the frequent cross-border trips required during the season.

Major League Baseball is not requiring teams to remain in a tightly controlled bubble such as the NHL and NBA.

They had reportedly made a deal with Pittsburgh to play at PNC Park but the Pennsylvania Department of Health also wouldn’t allow them to play over public health concerns.

The team had also considered calling Baltimore’s Camden Yards home but pulled out of those talks before state officials in Maryland could make a final decision.

Toronto had also considered playing home games at its training facility in Dunedin, Florida, but that is among the states that are coronavirus hot spots.