With series in Toronto approaching, will all Yankees be eligible?

BALTIMORE – As of spring training, the Yankees still had a small handful of players who had chosen not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. 

With New York City lifting its vaccine regulations just before Opening Day, being without the unvaccinated for home games – a la the Nets and Kyrie Irving for most of the NBA regular season – was no longer a concern.

But as a May 2-4 series in Toronto approaches, Canada’s law requires the Yankees to leave unvaccinated players at home.

Is that still a worry?

“I don’t have anything to say on it right now,” Aaron Boone said before Saturday night’s game against the Orioles. “I don’t think it’s going to be an issue, though.”

The exact meaning of that wasn’t clear, but it will be in the coming days. In order to adhere to Canadian law and be allowed into the country, players and staff must be vaccinated at least 14 days before entering. The Yankees are likely to arrive in Toronto the night of May 1 after they finish a three-game series in Kansas City, making late Sunday night the de facto deadline to get vaccinated.  

When asked about the issue early in spring training, Boone said he would talk with the unvaccinated if he deemed it necessary.

“If it’s something that becomes an issue, yeah, I would have conversations with guys," Boone said on March 14.  "I have people in my life that make choices on both sides. And I understand it’s one of those things that’s kind of polarized us, unfortunately, as a nation, as a world. So I’ll certainly communicate with our guys, but in the end, it’s a personal decision."

Now batting leadoff . . . 

Aaron Hicks, who has batted leadoff plenty during his time with the Yankees, did so for the first time this season Saturday night.

“Hicks is one of those guys you feel good about a lot of places in the lineup,” Boone said. “As a switch hitter, he can break things up a little bit, balances things out a little bit.”

Hicks, who appeared in only 32 games last season before undergoing season-ending surgery on May 26 to repair a tendon sheath tear in his left wrist, came into Saturday hitting .300 (6-for-20) with one homer, four walks, five strikeouts and an .867 OPS.

“I think he’s been pretty good so far,” Boone said. “Certainly getting his hits, gotten on base some. Had a big homer for us a few days ago [in Tuesday’s 4-0 victory over Toronto]. Feel playing in winter ball was helpful giving him confidence. I feel like he’s in a pretty good spot right now.”

Working out the kinks

Several Yankees pitchers in the last week have had some issues with the new PitchCom communication device, including Aroldis Chapman on Friday night. Those issues have related to an increase in crowd noise, the case when Chapman came on in the 11th inning of Friday night’s 2-1 loss. He had trouble hearing what Jose Trevino wanted him to throw, and he walked Ramon Urias on a 3-and-2 slider with the bases loaded to force in the winning run.

“It’s one of those things that we’re kind of fine tuning, just making sure the voice is clear, at the right volume and how to wear it in your hat and all that, especially when noise starts to happen,” Boone said. “I don’t think it’s going to be a big issue long-term. Still a little bit of a work in progress there.”

Don’t count on it

Boone smiled when asked about the much-discussed decision Friday by Angels manager Joe Maddon to issue a bases-loaded walk to Corey Seager in the fourth inning, which put his club in a 4-2 hole against the Rangers. Texas added two more runs in the inning before the Angels came back to win, 9-6.

“I don’t know. That’s a tough one. Joe’s great at this,” Boone said of Maddon, a good friend. “[Down] 3-2 in the fourth inning would probably a little bit hard for me. I don’t know if I envision me doing that. But you never know. Things come up.”

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.