The Orioles and White Sox will play a game without fans due to safety concerns in Baltimore

The Baltimore Orioles announced that Wednesday's game against the Chicago White Sox will be closed to the public due to safety concerns amid ongoing violence and protests in Baltimore.

This move comes after both Monday's and Tuesday's games were postponed.

Commissioner Rob Manfred released a statement on the situation:

"After conversations with the Orioles and local officials, we believe that these decisions are in the best interests of fan safety and the deployment of City resources. Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by violence in Baltimore, and everyone in our game hopes for peace and the safety of a great American city."

The move to play Wednesday's game behind closed doors instead of postponing it may have been necessitated by MLB's unbalanced schedule. This series was the White Sox' only trip to Baltimore this season and making up three postponed games would have been a far more difficult task than making up two.

With just two games to make up, the Orioles announced they will play a double-header against the White Sox on May 28.

In addition, the Orioles were scheduled to play a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Camden Yards starting on Friday. That series has been moved to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, where the Orioles will play the games as the "home" team.