As Craig and Evan broke at the start of Tuesday’s show, unvaccinated Yankees and Mets players will not be permitted in their home clubhouses or participate in home games under the current private sector mandate, which also restricts Kyrie Irving from playing at the Barclays Center.
One of the most notable New York stars rumored to be unvaccinated is Aaron Judge, who tested positive for COVID-19 last season. Judge, in his final season before becoming a free agent unless he agrees to an extension with the Yanks, did not provide much hope that he would not be impacted by the private sector mandate when asked about his vaccination status on Tuesday.
“I’m still focused on getting to the first game of spring training, so I think we’ll cross that bridge whenever the time comes, but right now, so many things can change,” Judge said. “So I’m not too worried about that right now.”
Audacy MLB insider Jon Heyman reported on Sunday that the Yanks “would miss a chunk of the middle of their order” if unvaccinated players weren’t permitted to play in Toronto, but now, as Craig and Evan noted, that would also include half of the Yankees’ entire season. The mandate could change between now and April 7, but New York City mayor Eric Adams hasn’t indicated that a change is imminent. If things remain status quo, the Yankees’ season could be drastically altered.
The Yankees released a statement Tuesday afternoon that said, "On behalf of the Yankees, Randy Levine is working with City Hall and all other appropriate officials on this matter. We will have no further comment.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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