Unvaccinated Mets Can’t Play Home Games

New York Mets players not vaccinated against Covid-19 will not be allowed to play in home games this season, reports the NY Daily News.

A Mets spokesperson told MLB.com reporter Anthony DiComo that the team is not publicly commenting on the news today. The Yankees say that president Randy Levine is “working with City Hall and all other appropriate officials on this.”

Players on the Mets and the New York Yankees are covered by the same private sector employer mandate that applies to Brooklyn Nets basketball star Kyrie Irving. Irving has yet to play a home game this season due to a private employer mandate put in place by former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Dec. 27.

The spokesperson told the Daily News that the fact that baseball is played outdoors has no bearing on the mandate.

No word has been made about road teams.

The Toronto Blue Jays are not allowing unvaxxed members of other teams to cross the border and play road games at Rogers Center.

“We have to worry about the health of almost nine million people. No one is trying to hurt Kyrie Irving or a Yankees player,” the spokesperson told the Daily News.

The Mets won’t have their first home game until April 15, giving players a month to comply with the mandate and get vaccinated or to wait and see if it will change. Mayor Eric Adams has been adamant about not changing the mandate or making exceptions to the rule despite repealing the Key2NYC vaccine mandate on March 7 that covered indoor spaces like gyms, dining, and entertainment. Around 1,500 city workers were fired for refusing the vaccine in February.

Members of the Mets are vaccinated like Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, and Max Scherzer. Manager Buck Showalter on Wednesday said “they can stick it wherever they want to stick it” regarding a fourth Covid-19 vaccine shot.

Still, the Mets were one of the least vaccinated teams in the league last season, failing to reach the 85% threshold to loosen Covid protocols. New York has added new players this offseason and it is presently unknown where the team stands.

Any Met who chooses to not get vaccinated will miss games unless the mandate is changed before the home-opener. In a season where the team is expected to compete for a World Series title, that’s unacceptable.