This article originally appeared onThe Defenderand was republished with permission.
Guest post byMichael Nevradakis, Ph.D.
A former baseball prospect who says he was coerced into receiving the COVID-19 vaccines by theChicago White Soxin 2021 issuing his former team, alleging the vaccine caused him to develop a career-ending injury.
Isaiah Carranza, a former pitcher for teams in the White Sox’ minor league system, accused the White Sox of discrimination and negligence. He said team officials threatened to blacklist him by keeping him locked into his contract and relegating him to the minor leagues with no opportunity for career advancement if he didn’t get thevaccine.
Those threats compelled him to get the first dose of Pfizer’sCOVID-19vaccine in 2021. The vaccine caused “extreme dizziness, nausea, near-fainting, and wildly fluctuating heart rate,” he said.
Carranza was diagnosed withpostural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome(POTS), a chronic nervous system disorder characterized by a rapidly increasing heart rate upon standing. POTS is a commonly reportedadverse eventlinked toCOVID-19 vaccines.
Thelawsuit, filed inSeptember 2025and amended in December 2025, names the White Sox and Major League Baseball (MLB) as defendants.
Attorney John M. Liston, co-counsel for Carranza, toldThe Defenderthat the vaccinemandateCarranza was subject to was an “employer-imposed mandate” that “applied to minor league players — not those in the major league.”
This distinction created “two different tiers of employees without any valid justification,” Liston said. Major league players are unionized, but minor league players are not. As a result, minor league players enjoy fewer workplace protections.
The complaint alleges that the defendants violated theAmericans with Disabilities Act(ADA). Carranza claims team officials downplayed his injuries and failed to provide sufficient medical care or accommodations required under the ADA. His injuries forced him to end his baseball career prematurely.
Source: The Vigilant Fox
