New Yankees OF Andrew Benintendi Open to Vaccine After Trade

Based on current restrictions, Benintendi needs to be vaccinated against COVID-19 if he wants to play in Toronto later this season.

Andrew Benintendi says he hasn’t shut the door on the COVID-19 vaccine.

The new Yankees outfielder, acquired from the Royals on Wednesday night, needs the shots if he wants to play in Toronto later this year, per Canadian requirements to enter the country. Benintendi was one of 10 Kansas City players who were unable to cross the border for a recent road trip, making the 28-year-old’s vaccination plans a topic of interest when he introduced himself to the New York media on Thursday.

"I'm still positioned in the same spot,” Benintendi said, referring to his unvaccinated status. “I'm open-minded about it. I'm not against it. Time will tell as we get closer. But for now, I'm just focused on getting comfortable and getting to know the guys and winning baseball games."

Andrew Benintendi says he did not discuss getting the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of being traded to the Yankees:

"I'm still positioned in the same spot. I'm open-minded about it. I'm not against it, but time will tell." pic.twitter.com/1r3q5w58cf

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 28, 2022

Benintendi said that getting vaccinated was not something that he had to agree to do prior to the trade, which sent pitching prospects Chandler Champlain, Beck Way and T.J. Sikkema to the Royals. The lefty swinger added that he has not spoken to Yankees players or the front office about being vaccinated for future games in Toronto.

"I know there were a few reports about that, but I don't know where that came from,” Benintendi said. “We'll cross that bridge when it comes. Like I said, I'm open-minded about it.”

The Yankees have one more regular-season series in Toronto from Sept. 26-28, giving Benintendi time to get vaccinated if he wants to. A postseason matchup with the second place Blue Jays is also possible.

The Yankees’ entire active roster was cleared to cross the Canadian border earlier this season despite some initial concerns about a few vaccine holdouts.

Being unvaccinated can pose an increased risk for the individual and those around them. As far as baseball goes, remaining unvaccinated would leave Benintendi’s new team without its pre-deadline splash in September, and potentially October. But when Benintendi failed to make the Royals’ trip to Toronto, he described being unvaccinated as a “personal decision.”

“I'm going to leave it at that,” Benintendi said in a statement at the time, but he’ll surely have to answer more questions on the subject in the coming weeks.

MORE:

• Former Yankees New York Could Reunite With Before the Trade Deadline
• What's Next For Yankees After Andrew Benintendi Trade?
• What Aaron Judge Had to Say About the Andrew Benintendi Trade

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