In the end, the Red Sox faced a decision that was no decision at all. If center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. wasn’t going to play in Thursday’s game, his teammates weren’t going to play either.

“I think it comes down to the brotherhood,” Red Sox pitcher Nathan Eovaldi said. “I want to be there and be able to support Jackie.”

That was the catalyst that led to the postponement of Thursday’s scheduled Red Sox-Blue Jays game in Buffalo. The Red Sox intend to play Friday’s game against the Nationals at Fenway Park as scheduled.

The Red Sox and Blue Jays issued the following joint statement explaining the postponement:

“The continued police brutality and social inequity demand immediate attention and focus from all of us -- not only Black Americans and Canadians. We fully respect the decision of our players to bring further awareness to the systemic racism that contributes to police violence against Black, Indigenous and people of color in our communities. We look forward to getting back on the field, and using our strongest platform, our game, to amplify our message demanding meaningful change.”

After Bradley informed Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom on Thursday morning that he would not play, wheels were in motion.

Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke, choking back tears as he recounted the day and the circumstances, said he simply wanted the decision to play or not play to belong to his players.

He discussed the situation with his veteran players and with Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo. He had his coaches talk to Boston’s younger players, and the consensus was overwhelmingly to support Bradley.

“We had a good team meeting, and we’re supportive of Jackie,” shortstop Xander Bogaerts said. “It’s been a tough, tough day and a tough situation. We’re looking for change. We want this to get better. You want the world to be in a better place.”

Bradley stood in front of the team around two-and-a-half-hours before the 6:37 p.m. scheduled first pitch and told them why he would not play in the wake of the police shooting of yet another Black man, Jacob Blake, in Kenosha, Wis.

“This is my decision,” Bradley, Boston's only Black player, told his teammates, according to Roenicke. “I’m fine if you guys want to play. It's an individual thing and a decision that we all have to make. There’s no hard feelings if you guys want to go out there and play.”

There was no vote taken. None was needed.

“The group felt strongly in backing Jackie and in his beliefs and the issues that are going on,” Roenicke said. “I tell you, it was emotional. So I'm listening to Jackie, I've got tears in my eyes. I'm listening to [Tom Goodwin, a Black coach], I've got tears in my eyes.

“This is really an important time in our country. And what are we going to do? These guys have a platform to be able to just discuss some things that are serious issues in our country that we need to straighten out.”

Already, the Red Sox are wrestling with the issue of what sitting out one game will accomplish. That also came up in the team meeting, with first baseman Mitch Moreland suggesting the formation of a charity to assist in affecting substantive change.

“Realizing that Jackie's our lone Black player, and they want to support him in any way they can,” Roenicke said. “So today is basically telling Jackie that we're hearing what you're saying, we're hearing what the rest of the guys are saying, and we want to make a difference. We want to support you in any way we can. And we'll continue to do that.”

Other change could be more subtle. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Maybe, just maybe, not playing one baseball game could have an impact.

“You know,” Roenicke said, “if you're a kid and you turn on the TV tonight, and you don't see that we're playing, and you ask your parents, 'Why aren't the Red Sox playing?'

“I hope the parents have a serious discussion with their kids and tell them what's going on or explain what's going on. Because we need to discuss these things more, we need to listen more. And that's the only way that we're going to change.

“I love baseball, but it's about more than baseball. It's about how we treat people. And these are hard questions for me because they're deep. They're hard to answer. They mean a lot to me. And I hope they mean a lot to everybody.”

As Kevin Pillar said, those kinds of discussions were taking place among players as well.

“You know the silver lining to everything that's happened this year is it's made people a little bit more comfortable having these uncomfortable conversations," Pillar said.

Bradley didn’t speak to reporters on Thursday, but among the things he said during a lengthy interview on Wednesday was: “Voices are being heard. Hopefully changes are being made. We'll just have to continue to grow, continue to push forward and try to be better as individuals and together as well.

“I am the only Black person on this team, so I kind of feel like it’s my responsibility to address it in certain situations, just so people can see what I feel and the things I think about. I can take it on.”