Report: White Sox to Mandate COVID-19 Booster for Minor Leaguers

The White Sox are requiring all minor league players to receive COVID-19 booster vaccines before they report for spring training, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Major League Baseball is not requiring coronavirus vaccinations for minor leaguers in 2022.

Chicago mandated COVID-19 vaccines for all minor leaguers last spring and had 100% compliance, according to Passan. So while this is not the first time the team has mandated the vaccine, the organization is the first in MLB to mandate the booster shot.

The team released a statement to Passan on their decision on Friday night.

“The Chicago White Sox are requiring all of our employees to be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccination status, and this requirement extends to our minor league players as well,” the statement said. “We believe this is the right thing to do to protect the health and well being of all of our players and staff across the organization.”

Chicago is not only requiring minor leaguers to show proof of the booster, but the organization will also refuse to release any player who declines to comply, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Spring training was slated to start across Major League Baseball next week, but the owners and the MLB Players Association remain in a lockout as the sides negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement.