Report: Canada set to lift vaccine travel requirements days before MLB playoffs begin

Rogers Centre in Toronto. (Carlos Osorio/CP)

It appears Major League Baseball teams will be able to have unvaccinated players play in Toronto during the playoffs.

The Globe and Mail reported Tuesday that the Canadian government is poised to drop the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for people who enter the country on Sept. 30.

With the playoffs starting on Oct. 7, that ruling seemingly would open the door for unvaccinated players to play against the Blue Jays for any potential post-season game in Toronto.

That would be a change from the majority of the 2022 season in which unvaccinated players were placed on the restricted list before series in Toronto and not eligible to play at Rogers Centre.

The Boston Red Sox are in Toronto for the Blue Jays' final regular-season home series Sept. 30-Oct. 2.

The Kansas City Royals had the most players to miss a series with 10 being absent earlier this summer.

The government's decision will affect other sports as well, with the NHL and NBA seasons set to start this fall.

Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets was one of the higher-profile unvaccinated players last season and would not have been eligible to play in Toronto under the current rules.

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