The Cubs can’t complain or cry about the decision to postpone Sunday’s game in Washington because of nonstop rain.

And they won’t complain or cry about losing their day off and having to fly back to Washington on Thursday to play a late afternoon makeup game.

But they should complain and cry about Major League Baseball’s decision to play the game in Washington with a potential Category 4 or 5 hurricane bearing down on the mid-Atlantic region.

READ MORE: Cubs-Nationals postponed until Thursday, taking away much-needed off day »

Hurricane Florence is expected to hit land south of Washington, but playing dodgeball with a hurricane is the best-case scenario. The Cubs would have to get in town, get the game in and leave before the heavy rain and wind hits the area. The worst-case scenario is they would spend even more time waiting out a rain delay, compounding the half-day rain delays from Friday through Sunday, and have the whole trip go for naught.

“It’s on the schedule, but obviously the biggest story in the country right now is the hurricane,” Cubs President Theo Epstein said before Monday’s game against the Brewers. “And we wish everyone the best in terms of safety. So we’re just going to keep an eye on it. Common sense will prevail I’m sure.”

If common sense prevails, that suggests MLB will not ask two teams to play a game in a city with a hurricane approaching.

“The things we can control internally, we’re taking a look at to see what we can do to make things more manageable,” Epstein said. “As far as the makeup game itself, that’s an MLB issue.”

Cubs President Theo Epstein discusses the recent weather complications surrounding the team's games in Washington and how the forecast might affect the Cubs in the near future. (Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune) Cubs President Theo Epstein discusses the recent weather complications surrounding the team's games in Washington and how the forecast might affect the Cubs in the near future. (Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune)

Epstein said the Cubs have no say in MLB’s decision.

“Our voices have certainly been heard,” he said. “But we don’t have any control.”

Of course, it would be much easier for MLB to simply schedule the Cubs-Nationals game for the day after the season ends and then cancel it if it has no implications in the National League playoff race or for best record. But that would be too easy.

“That would be optimal if we could do that,” manager Joe Maddon said. “I know what the rules are. But even when you get a day off when you get rained out, it’s really not a day off. People have to understand that. Your motor is still running. … Of course for us, the better outcome would be the game would not be played, possibly. But if it is, we’re going to be there.”

The Cubs could also ask to change Friday’s game time to give them more rest returning home, but so far that hasn’t been pushed, Maddon said.

if they don’t cancel the makeup game, switching it to a day game in Chicago — or even in Milwaukee if the Nationals are worried about giving the Cubs home-field advantage — makes sense. It’s not unprecedented, and it’s obviously doable.

Last year MLB switched a mid-September Marlins-Brewers series from Miami to Milwaukee because of Hurricane Irma and an Astros-Rangers series to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., because of Hurricane Harvey.

In 2004 officials moved a Marlins home game against the Cubs to Wrigley Field because of Hurricane Frances and a pair of home games against the Expos to U.S. Cellular Field because of Hurricane Ivan.

The Cubs and Astros relocated from Houston’s Minute Maid Park to Milwaukee’s Miller Park in 2008 because of Hurricane Ike, playing a Sunday night game that resulted in Carlos Zambrano tossing a no-hitter. The teams played another game that Monday and the third game was canceled, leaving both with 161 games that season.

The Nationals are in Philadelphia on Wednesday. Rain is expected there most of the week, and Monday night’s game was postponed and will be made up as part of a doubleheader Tuesday. They would have to fly to Chicago (or perhaps Milwaukee) for a makeup game Thursday, then fly south to Atlanta to start a weekend series against the Braves.

The Cubs are home all week, so they would be set if they played at home or at a nearby venue.

Maybe the Brewers, Cardinals, Braves, Dodgers, Rockies and Diamondbacks would complain and cry, but so be it.

Still, the best option would be no game at all. After cursing the rain all weekend, the Cubs might want to pray for rain Thursday to get out of going to Washington.

“If the weather cooperates, maybe we get that day off,” Epstein said. “I don’t mean to be glib. We don’t want anyone to suffer at all in the hurricane. But if it’s raining in D.C. on Thursday and we get that day off, it would be nice for our guys to get a well-earned off day.”

Hopefully common sense prevails and MLB makes the right call. But what are the odds of that? Officials made the wrong call Friday by starting a game in Washington when they knew it would be delayed by showers after a couple of innings.

It would be nice if MLB could focus on the great races in the NL and not making sure everyone plays a 162-game schedule.

“There’s 20 games left,” Epstein said. “We’re in a really nice position and control our own destiny. How many cliches do you want? It’s time to play.”