MLB smoke updates: Latest news on Yankees-Dodgers, other games impacted by Canadian wildfires
MLB smoke updates: Latest news on Yankees-Dodgers, other games impacted by Canadian wildfires originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Baseball returns in full force on Friday, with 28 of the 30 teams playing and 15 total games on the schedule thanks to a doubleheader between the Rays and Red Sox.
The highlight of the first weekend of the second half is a series between the Yankees and Dodgers, for good reason. Could wildfire smoke derail it?
As smoke persists on Friday, Yankees-Dodgers and other MLB games are at risk of being impacted.
Here are the latest updates on games that could be affected by the Canadian wildfires.
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Latest updates on MLB games impacted by Canada wildfires
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C. and Detroit are among cities under the heaviest smoke on Friday, but the Orioles, Nationals and Tigers are all set to play on the road, with the Phillies off after playing Thursday night.
Dodgers vs. Yankees
New York has been blanketed by smoke since Wednesday, but conditions have likely improved enough for Friday’s game to play out as scheduled.
The air quality index (AQI) as of late Friday morning was 122 in the Bronx, according to AirNow, which is only in the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” range, and the forecast is expected to moderately improve throughout the day Friday as smoke pushes further south.
Unless the forecast is wrong, the Yankees and Dodgers figure to play, just as the Mets and Phillies played Thursday night with a bit of a haze over the stadium.
Twins vs. Cubs
As of Friday morning, Chicago has some of the worst air quality in the world with an AQI of 338. Smoke is expected to move east of Chicago as the day goes on, but the status of the Cubs’ game against the Twins will depend on how quickly that happens.
Forecasts vary, with some expecting major clearing by the 8:05 p.m. ET start time but AccuWeather, for one, still projecting the AQI to be 231 at that point. MLB doesn’t have a set standard for postponing games due to air quality, but some games postponed due to wildfire smoke in 2023 had an AQI in the 200s.
At this time, the Cubs haven’t made any announcement regarding the game.
Pirates vs. Guardians
Friday’s game between the Pirates and Guardians could be at the greatest risk of postponement of any on the schedule. The AQI as of late Friday morning in Cleveland is 338, which is well above the AQI that got some games postponed in 2023. While major clearing is expected overnight, the AccuWeather forecast projects the AQI to hover near 240 at the 7:05 p.m. ET first pitch.
According to the Akron Beacon Journal, the two teams and MLB are coordinating with one another about the conditions.
Rays vs. Red Sox
Boston dealt with smoke in recent days, but there is no concern for Friday’s doubleheader against the Rays. The AQI as of late Friday morning is 51, which is not considered unhealthy or high-risk.
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MLB games today
| Game | First pitch (ET) |
| Rays vs. Red Sox | 1:35 p.m. |
| Dodgers vs. Yankees | 7:10 p.m. |
| Rays vs. Red Sox | 7:10 p.m. |
| Pirates vs. Guardians | 7:10 p.m. |
| Rangers vs. Braves | 7:15 p.m. |
| White Sox vs. Blue Jays | 7:15 p.m. |
| Marlins vs. Brewers | 7:40 p.m. |
| Twins vs. Cubs | 8:10 p.m. |
| Orioles vs. Astros | 8:10 p.n. |
| Padres vs. Royals | 8:10 p.m. |
| Reds vs. Rockies | 8:40 p.m. |
| Tigers vs. Angels | 9:38 p.m. |
| Nationals vs. Athletics | 9:40 p.m. |
| Cardinals vs. Diamondbacks | 9:40 p.m. |
| Giants vs. Mariners | 10:10 p.m. |
Canadian wildfire smoke map
Here’s a visualization of the smoke forecast through the end of Saturday:
Projected movement of wildfire smoke over the next 48 hours (HRRR) pic.twitter.com/r6E5VLAI6D
— James Spann (@spann) July 17, 2026
Why is the air quality so bad?
Raging wildfires in Canada and parts of Minnesota, along with wind, have sent smoke in the direction of the Midwest, Northeast, and mid-Atlantic United States.
There are more than 830 wildfires raging, with the vast majority in Canada and the largest in west-central Ontario. Air quality first deteriorated in Minnesota and Michigan but started affecting the northeast, including New York, on Wednesday.
Canadian wildfire smoke previously had a large-scale impact on the eastern United States in 2023, when New York’s skies turned a shade of gray-orange, and three MLB games were cancelled between New York, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.
