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The Chicago Cubs are scheduled for a rare series with the Minnesota Twins to come out of the MLB All-Star Break, with action beginning Friday night.
The air quality (AQI) at Wrigley Field will likely need to improve to avoid a postponement due to wildfire smoke from fires raging in northern Minnesota and across the Canadian border.
An MLB game was played Thursday night in Philadelphia through haze, but the league has postponed games in the past for air quality, so it's not an unprecedented situation.
The forecast on Friday in Chicago will go a long way toward determining if the Cubs and Twins can play as scheduled.
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Can Cubs play Twins tonight with air quality?
This will depend on the air quality's progression by a few hours before the scheduled 7:05 p.m. local time first pitch.
As of 6 a.m. ET in Chicago, the AQI is 409, which is a very hazardous number, and one that an MLB game would never be played at.
The forecast, though, shows a downward trend throughout the day. By first pitch, the AQI could be down in the 60s, which would be just fine to play baseball in.
Forecasts for air quality aren't entirely as predictable as other weather patterns, as changes in wind could alter the outlook considerably. This will be something that has to be monitored throughout Friday.
If the numbers drop by the afternoon as predicted, the Cubs and Twins should be fine to play. But if they actually stick near the morning totals, baseball would have to be held off.
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