The York Revolution, a Pennsylvania Minor League Baseball team, forfeited a scheduled game Thursday night after several players refused to wear Pride Night jerseys featuring rainbow-colored sleeves, prompting the independent professional baseball club to cancel the contest while proceeding with planned LGBTQ+ community celebrations.

The Revolution announced late Wednesday that its game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs would be recorded as a forfeit under Atlantic League rules requiring uniformed personnel to wear matching uniforms.

The teams compete in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent league not affiliated with Major League Baseball.

"This decision was not reached lightly," the York team said in a statement.

The organization said several players objected to wearing the Pride-themed jerseys, creating a conflict with the club's annual Pride event, which was scheduled for its 11th year.

"Unfortunately, several of our players have refused to wear the scheduled Pride Night jersey and the club decided that hosting the event is more important than forcing players to wear jerseys they are not comfortable with and playing the game," the team said.

The club added: "As a result, and out of respect for the Pride Community and the York community as a whole, the York Revolution has decided that the game on Thursday, June 18 will be forfeited and that Pride Night will continue on as the feature element of the evening at WellSpan Park."

Despite the canceled game, the Revolution said Pride Night festivities would continue as planned.

Activities include music, fan batting practice, and other on-field events, with admission free to the public. Ticket holders will be able to redeem their tickets as rainout vouchers for any remaining 2026 regular-season home game.

The team also issued a sharp rebuke of the players' actions.

"To be clear; this action by the players is completely inconsistent with our vision as the Most Welcoming Place in York," the statement said.

The Revolution announced a $10,000 donation to the Rainbow Rose Center, a York-based LGBTQ+ organization.

"We feel that this is the best way to stay consistent with our long-standing partnerships with the Rainbow Rose Center, JLS Automation and the long list of allies that have always been key partners of the York Revolution’s success in York, Pennsylvania," the club said.

The Rainbow Rose Center said Thursday it was disappointed by the circumstances that led to the forfeiture but appreciated the team's decision to continue the event and its support for the LGBTQ+ community.

The controversy comes amid broader debate within professional baseball over Pride-themed events and uniforms.

Earlier this week, Major League Baseball warned several San Francisco Giants players after they altered team-issued Pride Night caps by writing Bible verses on them, while another player declined to wear the cap.

MLB said uniforms cannot be modified without authorization.

Pride-themed celebrations have become common in professional sports in recent years as teams seek to recognize LGBTQ+ communities and expand outreach efforts.

At the same time, some athletes have objected to participating in certain promotional activities on religious or personal grounds, creating occasional conflicts between individual expression and team initiatives.

York's decision to forfeit a game rather than cancel Pride Night appears to be a rare step in professional baseball, underscoring the tension between the club's inclusivity efforts and the objections raised by some on its roster.