On May 3, nine US sports unions issued a joint statement expressing their opposition to legislative efforts in certain states to restrict the right to vote. The Major League Baseball Players Association was not one of those unions. The MLBPA also did not speak out publicly when Commissioner Rob Manfred took the Atlanta All-Star Game out in response to the passage of a law in Georgia that critics say would disproportionately restrict black voting rights.

The union declined to comment when asked why it was not part of the joint statement by the other sports unions, signed by associations representing players from the NBA, NFL, MLS and the US women’s national football team, among others.