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PORT ST. LUCIE — The Mets have avoided one big hurdle regarding New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
There is an other potential obstacle they could face this season, but that is months down the road and they might be more eager to deal with it if they get there.
Unvaccinated Mets have been cleared to play at Citi Field this season, after Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday an exemption for pro athletes and performers to get around the private-sector workplace mandate. Instead of being at risk of missing some of their stars for 83 games (all home games plus two games at the Yankees), the Mets will be able to roll out their full roster in Queens.
“I’m excited for all the fans of all New York teams: the Mets, the Yankees, the Nets — good for Kyrie [Irving] to be able to play again for his team at home,” Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo, who has declined to reveal his vaccination status, said Thursday, echoing comments by the Yankees’ Aaron Judge from the night before. “Ultimately, we’re very thankful to the mayor for his leadership and for being able to bring something that I think is really good and positive back to New York City in the [form] of baseball, Yankees and Mets.”
The only other city where unvaccinated major leaguers currently would not be allowed to play is Toronto, due to Canadian border restrictions. The Mets (one of six teams last season not to reach an 85 percent vaccination rate among its Tier 1 personnel) do not face the Blue Jays in interleague play this season, so their only potential matchup would come in a World Series.
“We got to get there first,” Nimmo said. “I don’t know what would happen in that situation, but let’s hope that we’re in the World Series and if it happens to be Toronto, then we’ll deal with that situation when we get there.”
The easing of New York City’s vaccine mandate for athletes and performers, meanwhile, drew criticism for the double standard it set, giving teams like the Yankees and Mets special treatment while other workers still have to follow the requirements.
“I understand what that may look like,” manager Buck Showalter said. “I don’t know enough of the particulars of everything that’s going on. I just know we were gonna be ready to handle whatever they decided without us feeling like anything different would be with us. Wherever we ended up, we were willing to adjust to it. … I understand the sensitivity of that [perceived double standard] and we were certainly very sensitive to that part of it.”
Nimmo pointed to the leveling of the playing field, since visiting athletes who are not vaccinated have been able to play without limitations.
“Very nice to have clarity on it,” he said. “Very nice to know we’ll have our full team available for home games.”
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