Pro athletes in Venezuela facing travel turmoil after U.S. operation - ESPN

Scores of professional athletes in Venezuela, particularly baseball players affiliated with MLB clubs, had their travel schedules thrown into turmoil this week after the U.S. carried out a military operation to capture the country's leader.

MLB teams say they are contacting players to make sure they're safe, but the league is declining to discuss details or provide any comment.

Venezuelan winter league baseball playoffs were in full swing, but play was suspended following the attack and is expected to resume Wednesday. Among the league's 100 Dominican players, many presumably were affected by weekend flight suspensions.

It's unclear how many players, coaches and staffers from MLB organizations, including minor leaguers, are playing in the league.

There were 63 Venezuelan-born players on MLB rosters as of last Opening Day, as Venezuela and the Dominican Republic are the top sources of foreign-born players in the MLB.

The U.S. imposed temporary flight restrictions in parts of the Caribbean on Saturday, the day of the military operation. Add to that the fact that the United States has suspended all direct flights to and from Venezuela since 2019.

Players spending the holidays in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, among other countries, had few options to get out.

With spring training more than a month away, however, it would not have impacted players and coaches returning to their teams in time. While most flight schedules have resumed, major backlogs remain.

Several U.S. professional sports teams told ESPN that they've stepped in to offer support to their Venezuelan athletes. No major issues were reported by any of the teams contacted by ESPN.

«We have been in touch with them, but we've been advised by the league to not