Vaccinated Gio Urshela Hits Yankees’ COVID List After Side Effects

The New York Yankees arranged for team vaccinations before traveling to Tampa, Florida, and now third baseman Gio Urshela has been placed on the COVID injured list with some side effects.

The Yankees, who hosted the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday and lost 4-3 in 11 innings, reportedly vaccinated uniformed personnel and members of its traveling party both before and after the game. The event was designed to move the organization closer to getting 85% of its individuals fully vaccinated and easing some of Major League Baseball’s extensive health and safety restrictions.

In the short term, however, the Yanks’ in-house vaccination drive caused a temporary shift in its Friday starting lineup.

Urshela was slated to bat eighth against the Tampa Bay Rays before sliding to the COVID injured list. Instead, the Yankees recalled Mike Ford from the alternate site and activated him for the three-game series. New York had the flexibility to do so because “any player placed on the COVID injured list does not count against the 40-man roster. The COVID injured list also does not require a minimum stay,” reports ESPN.

Whenever people take vaccinations, there is a chance that they will experience some side effects. That said, the Yankees released a statement verifying that medical personnel handled the process completely and safely.

"The New York Yankees would like to offer their sincere thanks to Dr. Philip Ozuah, President of Montefiore Medical Center, and the hard-working and dedicated group of medical staff from this Bronx-based hospital, who have been on-site at Yankee Stadium this evening to administer COVID vaccinations to New York Yankees players, coaches, field staff and support staff. This process has been seamless and efficient, and we are grateful that by receiving the vaccine, we can contribute to stopping the spread of COVID-19," the team said in its statement.

The Yankees were fully on board with vaccinating players from the beginning, while many players around the league consider it to be a “personal choice.” Tier 1 individuals on MLB teams reaching the 85% vaccination threshold will no longer have to wear masks in the dugout nor quarantine after a COVID exposure.