Astros players to receive COVID-19 vaccine before Opening Day
Houston Astros players, who choose to do so, will receive the COVID-19 vaccine before Opening Day, manager Dusty Baker said Monday, per The Athletic's Jake Kaplan.
The Astros originally planned to fly straight to Oakland for the season opener against the A's, but will first stop in Houston to get vaccinated before traveling to the Bay Area on Tuesday.
Texas recently announced that everyone age 16 or older is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine beginning on Monday. It's unclear which Astros players will opt to get vaccinated.
Major League Baseball is not requiring players to get vaccinated, but the league and MLBPA are highly encouraging it.
If most players decide to get vaccinated, the league could potentially ease their health and safety restrictions. For now, though, those restrictions will be in place as the vaccine becomes more available across the country.
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