Rules set as 10,850 can head to Stadium

After a season in which the Yankee Stadium stands sat empty, the Yankees will sell 10,850 tickets to Thursday’s Opening Day at the Stadium and for at least the first 11 home games of the season — until April 21 — which matches the 20 percent capacity is allowed for outdoor venues by New York State.

Fans will be required to have a negative COVID test or proof of vaccination to gain entry. For the COVID test, fans will either have to have a negative PCR test within 72 hours or antigen within six hours. There will also be temperature checks, Yankees senior vice president Doug Behar said during a conference call on Tuesday.

Due to the screenings and safety protocols, Behar said, “We encourage fans to get here early.”

Once inside, face coverings will be required, as well as social distancing. Tickets are being sold in pods — mostly between two and four tickets each — with at least 6 feet between each pod. Concession stands will be open, as will most parking garages around the stadium.

Even when the season begins, the Stadium will continue to be used as a vaccination site through April 30.

All the details are subject to change as the season progresses, with the hope that some of the restrictions can be lessened.

Thursday’s forecast doesn’t look great, with chilly temperatures and some precipitation expected. If the game between the Yankees and Blue Jays is postponed, it can be made up on Friday.

➤ The Blue Jays announced Tuesday they would play another homestand at their spring training facility in Dunedin, Fla., due to COVID-19 restrictions in Canada. The Yankees will visit Dunedin on their first road trip of the season. Their next road series against Toronto isn’t until June and, as of now, is scheduled to be played in Toronto.

As of Tuesday, Toronto hadn’t revealed its rotation order beyond Hyun Jin Ryu, who will start the opener against Gerrit Cole.

➤ The Yankees got Kyle Holder back as a Rule 5 Draft return from the Reds on Tuesday. The 26year-old infielder, drafted by the Yankees in the first round in 2015, was assigned to the Yankees alternate site in Scranton. Holder was selected by Philadelphia in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft and traded to Cincinnati in January.