Could some Phillies players be ineligible for Toronto series?

In six days, the Phillies are set to begin a quick two-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays in Canada. To cross the border, players must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 14 days prior to travel. With the exception of starting pitchers who threw within four days of the team’s trip to Canada, players who are not eligible to travel because they are not vaccinated are placed on the restricted list for the duration of the series. Those players are not paid and do not accrue service time for the time they are out.

It appears the Phillies are going to have to make some roster moves prior to the series against the Blue Jays. When asked whether or not the full team will be available for the series, interim manager Rob Thomson said he will address the situation when the team is in St. Louis.

“Always have a concern not having your full roster,” Thomson said.

Multiple players missed time on the COVID-19 injured list last season following either a positive test or exposure to someone who did test positive for the coronavirus. Aaron Nola and Connor Brogdon are among the players who were placed on the COVID-19 IL due to exposure. Both were unvaccinated at the time and it’s unclear if either received the COVID-19 vaccine in the last calendar year. Alec Bohm and Bailey Falter were among the unvaccinated players who tested positive for the virus.

Of course, incentives for getting vaccinated are different compared to last season. Unvaccinated players were not subject to lost wages and service time in 2021. Some of the highest paid players on the Phillies roster could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary if they are ineligible to play in Toronto.

Last September, the Phillies reached the 85% COVID-19 vaccination rate needed to relax protocols. That number included a select number of team staffers and Triple A players.

The Minnesota Twins and Cincinnati Reds, who both had to place four players on the restricted list prior to their series against the Blue Jays, are so far the teams that were most affected by the COVID-19 vaccination requirement to cross the border.

Notes

• Thomson was asked if he has spoken to former manager Joe Girardi. He says they have texted a few times. “Every time I text him or we talk, he always says ‘Say hello to the guys and tell them that I love them.’
• It’s possible left hander Kent Emanuel (left elbow impingement) is the first Phillies pitcher off the 60-day injured list. Emanuel began his rehab assignment on June 9 and pitchers can only be on rehab assignment for a maximum of 30 days before they are required to be activated. He’ll start tonight for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and is good to throw 90 pitches. “He’s really here for starting depth,” Thomson said.
• JoJo Romero (Tommy John surgery) is scheduled to pitch Thursday for Lehigh Valley. Ryan Sherriff (left shoulder strain) is scheduled to pitch Wednesday night in Triple A. Sherriff’s rehab assignment was interrupted after he was placed in COVID-19 protocols in June. Nick Maton (right shoulder sprain) will DH on Thursday in Clearwater.

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