Anthony Rizzo Calls Makeup Game vs. Nationals, Cubs' Schedule 'A Joke'

Suffice it to say Anthony Rizzo was not happy to be playing Thursday's makeup game against the Washington Nationals.

The Chicago Cubs slugger wore his full uniform on the team plane heading to Washington D.C. and called MLB's decision to schedule the game for Thursday "kind of a joke."

"I was just kind of having fun throughout a tough stretch in the season," Rizzo told reporters. "I mean, we're flying into a state of emergency with rain in the forecast. It's kind of a joke, so why not keep joking around about it and just have fun?"

The Cubs were originally scheduled to play Washington on Sunday, but the game was rained out. MLB scheduled the makeup for Thursday, rather than at the end of the season, despite the threat of rain due to Hurricane Florence.

"At the end of the day, our front office, our owner, they have our back," Rizzo said. "We're in a long stretch of games. There's people in MLB that have been on the players' side. They understand the human element of it, and they seem not to care at all. So it is what it is. We can sit here and complain about [it], or we can joke about [it]. I'll take the joking around part—a lot more fun."

The Cubs will travel back to Chicago to host the Cincinnati Reds on Friday. Rizzo said he did not bring a change of clothes and will wear his uniform on the team plane back to Chicago.

Thursday is the 24th consecutive day the Cubs have a scheduled game. They do not have another off day until Sept. 20, which will give them 30 straight days with a trip to the ballpark.

"I wish he had said something sooner because we all could have done it," manager Joe Maddon said. "I would have done it in a heartbeat."