Despite the rain and snow, Fenway Park played host to a different kind of opening day this week — as a COVID-19 vaccination site.
With plans to ramp up to 1,250 patients a day, the iconic ballpark is set to become the second-largest mass vaccination site in Massachusetts, only behind fellow sports venue Gillette Stadium. It’s the latest pandemic-era chapter for Fenway, which also served as a benefit concert stage and early voting center last year.
However, Fenway won’t be just a vaccination site for long.
MLB announced plans Monday to move forward with an on-time start date for the 2021 season, meaning that baseball is set to return to the currently snow-covered Fenway field on April 1 — exactly two months after the ballpark first opened to residents eligible under Phase 2 of the state’s vaccine rollout, which has already seen its share of wrinkles.