New Blue Jay Whit Merrifield Reveals Vaccination Status

 

When the Toronto Blue Jays traded for Kansas City Royals two-time All-Star Whit Merrifield, there were a lot of raised eyebrows around baseball, as he was noticeably absent in Toronto recently for a series due to being unvaccinated. 

He has now revealed to Jays beat writers that he has indeed gotten his shot, and is ready to be a full-time player for the Blue Jays—in Toronto, or anywhere else.

Blue Jays IF/OF Whit Merrifield says he is vaccinated: “I’ll be in Toronto with the team on Thursday.”

— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) August 4, 2022

“I’ll be in Toronto with the team (next) Thursday," Merrifield told reporters, indicating that he must have had his shot at least a week ago, as there is a two-week period before it's recognized at the Canada/U.S. border. The Jays are on the road, playing in Minnesota this weekend, and then Baltimore, before returning to Toronto next Thursday.

As the same rules applies for both countries, Merrifield would not have been able to travel back and forth from the U.S. to Canada without being vaccinated against the coronavirus. He would have been baseball's version of Kyrie Irving—a part-time player, only allowed to play games in the U.S. 

That's a big load off the Blue Jays' minds, as they try to maintain their hold on the first Wild Card spot down the stretch. 

Photo: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports