Zika fears imperil Puerto Rico series

MIAMI — There’s a very good chance the Marlins’ two-game series against the Pirates in Puerto Rico will be moved because of concerns about the Zika virus, a person familiar with the situation said Tuesday.

The person spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the teams said no decision had been made.

Marlins players attended a seminar on Zika last week that heightened concerns about playing the games in San Juan on May 30-31, player representative Tom Koehler said. An announcement is expected by the end of the week regarding whether the games will be played as scheduled or moved, Koehler said.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave a presentation on the disease to the Marlins and representatives of Major League Baseball and the players union.

“The information was more shocking to both sides,” Koehler said. “Maybe shocking isn’t the correct word, but there was a lot more information and data and numbers thrown our way that we didn’t have.”

Marlins players voted on whether to play the games as scheduled, Koehler said. He declined to share the result but said there’s a lot of concern within the clubhouse about playing in Puerto Rico.

The MLB medical director, Dr. Gary Green, held an hourlong meeting with the Pirates on Saturday.

If moved, the games would likely be played in Miami because the Marlins are designated as the home team. Games against the Pirates are scheduled in Miami on June 1-2.

U.S. health officials say Puerto Rico is on the front lines of the nation’s battle with Zika. The CDC has said Zika can cause a birth defect called microcephaly, in which infants are born with unusually small heads.