Phillies players ‘passionate' against racial injustice, ‘unified' in decision not to play

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Phillies players have decided not to play their series finale against the Washington Nationals on Thursday night, multiple people with knowledge of the situation tell NBC Sports Philadelphia.

The decision was made in a players-only meeting at the team hotel shortly before the buses were getting ready to roll to Nationals Park for a 6:30 p.m. game.

According to a source, Phillies players made the decision without input from Nationals players. The source went on to say that Phillies players were "passionate in taking a stand" against racial injustice and equally passionate about "staying unified" as a team.

Several games in the NBA and MLB were not played on Wednesday night as players joined together in the wake of racial tensions in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The NBA's Milwaukee Bucks were the first team to sit out and several MLB teams followed. The Phillies did not discuss sitting out Wednesday's game because of timing.

After Wednesday night's game, manager Joe Girardi said he would support any course of action his players chose to express their feelings on any social matter.

"I would tell them to go with their heart," he said. "Feelings are feelings. They're never right or wrong, they're just feelings. And you've got to go with what your heart tells you. I would support them whatever they did."

There was no immediate word on a makeup date of Thursday night's game. The Phils had won three in a row and were scheduled to send rookie Spencer Howard to the mound against three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer.

The Phillies are still scheduled to play Atlanta at home on Friday night. Friday is Jackie Robinson Day in MLB.

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