Report: MLB Mandates Vaccine For Non-Playing Personnel in Postseason

The league will require non-playing personnel, including managers, coaches, athletic trainers to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in order to gain access to field areas.

Major League Baseball will require non-playing personnel—that includes managers, coaches, athletic trainers, etc.—to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in order to gain access to field areas and other restricted areas during the postseason, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. 

Staff members who are currently unvaccinated but want to retain access to restricted areas during the playoffs can do so if they receive one dose of the Moderna vaccine before Oct. 4 while also scheduling their second dose of the vaccine. 

The MLB regular season will conclude in 16 days on Oct. 3. Following the end to the regular season, regular season tiebreaker games will be held on Oct. 4 if needed. The American League and National League wild card games will begin on Oct. 5 and Oct. 6 respectively. 

At the end of August, nearly 75% of MLB teams had more than 85% of their Tier 1 employees—players, coaches, medical personnel and others—vaccinated, allowing for lesser restrictions on COVID-19 protocols. 

Other sports leagues—the NHL, NBA and the NFL—have required team personnel to receive the vaccine. In early August, the NHL sent out a memo saying any "person whose job, role or position or access entails or entitles them to have personal interactions (within 12 feet) with Club Hockey operations personnel (including players) are required to be fully vaccinated."

The NBA requires several types of employees that include coaches, front office and medical staff employees and others who interact with players to be vaccinated, per ESPN.