Report: White Sox mandating booster for minor leaguers

The Chicago White Sox are mandating COVID-19 booster shots for their minor-league players ahead of spring training, sources told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and James Fegan.

"The Chicago White Sox are requiring all of our employees to be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccination status, and this requirement extends to our minor-league players as well," the team said in a statement. "We believe this is the right thing to do to protect the health and well-being of all of our players and staff across the organization."

White Sox minor leaguers must show proof of a booster shot before taking their physicals at spring camp on Feb. 21.

Those who do not comply won't be allowed to participate in spring training and could wind up on the restricted list instead of being released.

The White Sox decided to go this route to prevent players who aren't fully vaccinated from using the mandate as a way out of the organization, according to Rosenthal and Fegan.

The process isn't new to Chicago, which asked all of its minor-league players to be fully vaccinated ahead of 2021 spring training and received 100% compliance, a source told Rosenthal and Fegan.

Major League Baseball players are not subject to vaccine mandates due to the protection offered by the players' union.