The same private sector employer mandate that’s keeping Nets point guard Kyrie Irving off the court in Brooklyn would apply to unvaccinated Yankees and Mets for home games during the 2022 season, according to Stefan Bondy and Dennis Young of the Daily News.
Though mayor Eric Adams repealed the vaccine mandate that covered indoor spaces on March 7, a private employer mandate put in place by the de Blasio administration still applies, which is why Irving still cannot suit up for the Nets during home games.
Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge was asked on Tuesday whether or not he was vaccinated, but declined to answer.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said earlier this week that he was concerned about players being ineligible to play games in Toronto due to not being vaccinated, while MLB Network’s Jon Heyman said New York would “miss a chunk of the middle of their order” if unvaccinated players remain unable to play in Toronto.
The Mets, meanwhile, were among the league’s least vaccinated teams from a season ago, falling short of MLB’s 85% threshold to loosen COVID-19 protocols, according to the Daily News.
Irving drew plenty of looks when he sat court side at Barclays Center for a recent Nets game, despite still being ineligible to play for the team. He went to the team’s locker room after the game, which incurred a $50,000 fine for the Nets from the league.
