Report: MLB finalizing vaccine policy for minor leaguers
Major League Baseball is finalizing a plan that would require all minor-league players to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the 2022 season, reports Yahoo Sports' Hannah Keyser.
The mandate follows the MLB guidelines put in place in September, which asked that all non-playing employees be fully vaccinated in order to gain access to the field and other restricted areas during the postseason.
MLB will require non-playing personnel (managers, coaches, athletic trainers, etc.) to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in order to gain access to field and other restricted areas in postseason, sources tell @TheAthletic. 1/2
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) September 17, 2021
MLB cannot create a similar policy for major-league players without permission from the players' association. Minor leaguers are not represented by a union.
In the major leagues, teams were offered relaxed restrictions if they reached an 85% vaccination threshold for Tier-1 staff this season. Six teams - the Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, and Seattle Mariners, did not reach or exceed the threshold, according to Keyser.
MLB also recently informed clubs that players attending the upcoming Arizona Fall League must be fully vaccinated, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.