Blue Jays tell players to stop wearing 'Homeless Jays' shirts

The Toronto Blue Jays have banned their players from wearing "Homeless Jays" T-shirts after a social media outcry targeted the items for being insensitive.

"The Blue Jays take accountability for ensuring negative stereotypes are not perpetuated and for supporting marginalized groups in our community," the team said in a statement, according to the Toronto Sun's Rob Longley. "The club has addressed the issue of the T-shirts with our players and they will not be worn again."

The shirts, which were the brainchild of reliever Ken Giles, were meant to galvanize a Blue Jays squad that began the season without a home stadium after the Canadian government denied its request to play at Toronto's Rogers Centre during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Blue Jays were also denied permission to share Pittsburgh's PNC Park with the Pirates and Baltimore's Camden Yards with the Orioles by respective state officials before they settled on Buffalo's Sahlen Field for their home games.

Toronto began playing in Buffalo on Aug. 11 after traveling to opposing teams' stadiums for the first 13 games of its campaign.