Baseball News

Players who are not vaccinated will not be able to play in Canada

March 11, 2022

In 2020, the Blue Jays played in Buffalo. In 2021, the club played in Dunedin, Buffalo and finally, Toronto. It was easier due to Canadian COVID-19 rules and due to the border to cross.

But eventually, in 2022, the health restrictions begin to fall more significantly and the Blue Jays will play at home. For the first time in their career, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, who have played since 2019, will be in Toronto for 81 games.

But still: COVID-19 still exists and some Canadian measures still exist. This is bound to affect the Jays and their opponents.

An MLB veteran has confirmed that a player who is not vaccinated will not be able to play in Canada. And under the terms of the new collective agreement, a player who can’t play in Toronto won’t be able to get paid for missed games and won’t accumulate any time on duty either.

Obviously, Blue Jays players will need to be vaccinated. This is the basis since the club plays 81 games on Ontario soil per year – not counting the playoffs.

It also affects the division rivals of the Blue Jays, who must visit Toronto three times a year. We are talking about nine or 10 games a year in Toronto, which represents a good part of the season, all the same.

I have no idea if that’s still the case, but last year the Red Sox were one of the least vaccinated clubs in MLB. Toward the end of the season, Alex Cora’s gang was one of seven that failed to reach 85% of members having received the vaccine.

If several Sox members are not vaccinated, it could be a game-changer in a major playoff race among the Jays’ division rivals.

Note that MLB will probably no longer test its players as before (leagues now test players in connection with the border or only in the event of symptoms) and that journalists will be able to return to the locker room as before.

There will be some return to normal in the United States, but when clubs cross the border, they will be reminded that COVID-19 still exists. That could obviously change along the way, though.

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March 11, 2022
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