NewsCoronavirus

Actions

MLB to relax virus protocols when 85% on field vaccinated

MLB Political Contributions Baseball
Posted at 10:46 PM, Mar 29, 2021
and last updated 2021-03-29 22:46:32-04

Card games, car pools and eating at restaurants may be back in the major leagues later this season.

Trips to church and sponsor events may return, too. Mask use would be dropped from dugouts and bullpens, and electronic tracing devices would be eliminated when 85% of major league players and primary field staff are vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Communal clubhouse video would return before and after games. Pool tables would be restored, along with team saunas. A memorandum from MLB and the union obtained by The Associated Press stated “all players and staff are strongly encouraged to receive" COVID-19 vaccines when eligible.

As MLB is continually testing players, coaches and staff for COVID-19, cases have been relatively minimal during Spring Training. A total of 10 players and three staffers have tested positive for the virus since the start of Spring Training. MLB has administered nearly 60,000 tests as of late last week.