Orioles Announce Schedule Changes Due to Protests in Baltimore

With riots continuing on the streets of Baltimore, the Orioles' scheduled home game against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday has been postponed. The Orioles later announced that Wednesday's game will be played at Camden Yards but will be closed to the public.

They provided the full details of the schedule changes, including makeup dates for the postponements Monday and Tuesday, via a press release:

MLB Communications confirmed the news and provided a comment from commissioner Rob Manfred:

According to the Orioles' official Twitter account, the decision for Tuesday's game was made after consulting officials with knowledge of the ongoing situation:

David Just of the Chicago Sun-Times reported it will be the first game in MLB history played without fan admittance. 

Monday's contest between the Orioles and White Sox at Oriole Park was also postponed, and Manfred commented on the steps the league was taking to solve the issue after the postponement, per The Associated Press and ESPN.com.      

"At this point we're looking at every possible alternative in terms of completing the schedule in a timely way and making sure the games are played in a security situation that is safe for the fans. We're going to look at every alternative at this point," he said.

The O's were scheduled to host the Sox on Wednesday, followed by a three-game home series against the Tampa Bay Rays starting Friday. The news of the schedule change for Wednesday comes after ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reported earlier Tuesday that Major League Baseball was exploring options to make those games happen:

Right now, the focus in Baltimore is on public safety, which is certainly understandable. Until the protests subside, it is unlikely any baseball will be played in the city.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.