Major League Baseball players have been more reluctant to take the Covid-19 vaccine than their counterparts in any of the other American professional sports. Now that decision could have a significant impact on how the upcoming season unfolds.
Because of Canadian border restrictions, unvaccinated players won’t be allowed to enter the country to play against the Toronto Blue Jays.
They won’t be paid or receive service time for any games missed because of their vaccination status under the industry’s new labor contract, which the owners and players’ union agreed to last week.
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Things could be even worse for unvaccinated players in New York, where the current rules would prohibit them from appearing in any game in the city. That is because of the same private-sector mandate that is preventing Kyrie Irving from playing at home for the Brooklyn Nets.
The result is that as of now, an unvaccinated member of the Yankees would be able to play in only 70 of the team’s 162 games this season—and would lose about 57% of his salary. Players for the Mets, who don’t travel to Toronto this season, would be able to play in 79, missing 81 games at home and two at Yankee Stadium.
