MLB insider tears into Red Sox who didn’t get COVID-19 vaccine

The Boston Red Sox lost their first game of a three-game set in Toronto against the Blue Jays. There were some notable absences for the BoSox.

Boston has at least three key contributors who have yet to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Chris Sale, Tanner Houck and Jarren Duran are all unvaccinated, thus unable to travel to Canada for a critical series against the Blue Jays.

Why is this meaningful in June? Well, for one, Boston and Toronto are close in the standings and fighting for playoff seeding. Perhaps most importantly, however, is that the two teams would be slated to face off against each other in a series were the postseason to start today.

That could change, but given their overall talent level, the Sox should have a backup plan in place just in case.

Red Sox: MLB insider blasts 3 Boston players

Sale has yet to return from injury, so he’s not available for this series anyway. Come October, though, Boston would hope to have him healthy. Sale is one of the Sox best pitchers when healthy.

Houck is making a case to be Boston’s closer in the second half of the season. Yet, his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine could keep him out of any playoff series in Canada. Duran has excelled of late, as well.

Peter Gammons, longtime baseball writer and currently a columnist for The Athletic, let the Sox stars have it in his comment above. While not getting vaccinated is a personal choice, of course, and by no means required by MLB — it does leave players open to criticism.

Red Sox second baseman Trevor Story got vaccinated before signing with Boston. Houck and others, meanwhile, continue to hold firm.