10 unvaccinated Royals players skipping trip to Canada
The Kansas City Royals will be without 10 of the 26 players on their active roster for their upcoming trip to Toronto due to Canadian restrictions on travelers who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19.
Andrew Benintendi, Hunter Dozier, Cam Gallagher, Kyle Isbel, MJ Melendez, Whit Merrifield and Michael A. Taylor won’t be making the trip, along with pitchers Dylan Coleman, Brad Keller and Brady Singer.
“Right or wrong, I didn’t do it on a whim,” Merrifield told reporters. “It’s been a long thought process, because I understand what Canada has in place right now. That’s the only reason I would think about getting it at this point, is to go to Canada. That might change down the road. If something happens and I happen to get on a team that has a chance to go play in Canada in the postseason, maybe that changes. But as we sit here right now, I’m comfortable with my decision, my teammates support me, support the rest of the guys in here who have made that decision, and that’s that.”
News: The Kansas City Royals will be missing nearly 40% of their roster for a series this week in Toronto because the players are not vaccinated, including a top trade target.
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“It’s an individual choice,” Manager Mike Matheny said. “The organization’s done a real good job bringing in professionals and experts to talk guys through tough conversations and then put it in their hands to make the decisions they believe is best for them and their families.”
“At the end of the day, it’s their choice,” Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore said Wednesday. “It’s what they decide to do. And we’ve always been an organization that promotes and encourages individual choices. Unfortunately, some of this affects the team. We’re disappointed in some of that, but we realize it’s part of the game and part of the world we live in. We’re just really looking forward to providing these players an opportunity who are getting a chance to play in Toronto.”