Andrew McCutchen Wears Mask During Game, Pirates Players Rip MLB For Playing In Unhealthy Air Quality

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen was so concerned about the poor air quality in Pittsburgh on Thursday that he elected to wear a mask during his team's 5-4 win over the San Diego Padres.

The contest was delayed for 45 minutes due to the unhealthy air quality index in western Pennsylvania thanks to the lingering smoke from wildfires in Canada. A number of games around the league have been postponed this month due to air quality concerns, but all involved decided to play the game on Thursday.

McCutchen was not happy with the decision and sported a mask during most of the contest.

"Of course I'm concerned," McCutchen told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette prior to the game. "You read the alerts. You read everything they're saying, trying to stay safe from outside. One of the main things is to avoid strenuous activity, and that's what we're doing for three-plus hours out there."

Andrew McCutchen wore a mask during the Pirates - Padres series finale. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)

Pittsburgh catcher Austin Hedges was also upset with having to play Thursday's game citing that his phone told him that the air quality in the area was bad.

"I don't really know why we are playing," Hedges told AP. "It seems like everyone is kind of uneducated on this subject, which is too bad. It's clear as day when you look at your phone and you check the numbers. Like, it's told you don't go outside. They're not telling you don't go outside, and they're not saying that for no reason. We're not any different than any other humans."

McCutchen, who served as DH on Thursday, went 2-for-4 at the plate and scored a run in what was Pittsburgh's third-straight win.