sport news Yankees host doubleheader against White Sox after postponing game due to poor ... trends now

The Yankees are hosting a doubleheader in the Bronx against the visiting Chicago White Sox on Thursday after postponing Wednesday's game due to poor air caused by Canadian wildfires.

Yankee Stadium remains blanketed with a thick cloud of smoke, but with air quality improving Thursday, the team felt it was safe to play a twinbill.

Thursday afternoon's crowd appeared sparse, although that could be a product of the postponement rather than any anxiety by Yankees fans.

And baseball isn't the only New York-area sport being impacted. The New York Giants called organized team activities on Thursday and Friday, while racing at Belmont Park was also cancelled two days before the facility is scheduled to host the final leg of the Triple Crown with the Belmont Stakes.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned the Belmont Stakes could be called off if the air quality index exceeds 200 on its scale.If the air quality is 150 to 200, only horses that pass an additional pre-race vet examination will be permitted to race.

The hazardous air quality at Yankee Stadium didn't prevent Carlos Rodón from putting in some work on Wednesday

With several members of the Yankees' front office watching closely, Rodón threw 20 pitches in a simulated game on the field Wednesday afternoon — the latest step in his long rehabilitation from back trouble.

The left-hander faced teammates Jake Bauers and Oswaldo Cabrera under a hazy sky in the Bronx, which smelled of smoke because of Canadian wildfires that disrupted professional sports schedules along the East Coast of the United States.

'It's a little cloudy out there. It's not so clear. The visibility's not so great. Yeah, that was interesting,' Rodón told reporters in the clubhouse. 'I was just focused on trying to throw the ball over the plate, really. I didn't think about the breathing part. But yeah, I mean, it's thick air, that's for sure.'

A little while after Rodón was on the mound, the unhealthy air prompted Major League Baseball to postpone New York's game against the Chicago White Sox — along with the Detroit Tigers' game in Philadelphia.

Lance Lynn made the start for Chicago on Wednesday afternoon against Luis Severino. Mike Clevinger (3-3, 4.13) goes in Game 2 against rookie Randy Vásquez

read more from dailymail.....