Royals rule out 10 players against Blue Jays

As the All-Star break draws near, the Kansas City Royals will be heading to Canada to face the Toronto Blue Jays. They look to end the first half of the season on a high note.

But they’ll have to without some crucial players.

Per Alec Lewis of The Athletic, that ten players will be placed on the restricted list. Since unvaccinated travelers are not allowed to cross the Canada-U.S. border, it’s become a frequent practice in MLB.

The full list of players out for the series are as follows: Andrew BenintendiWhit MerrifieldHunter DozierCam GallagherMJ MelendezBrady SingerBrad KellerKyle IsbelMichael A. Taylor and Dylan Coleman.

“At the end of the day, it’s their choice,” Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore told reporters 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.”

Benintendi is the only 2022 All-Star representing the Royals this season. The Royals, with a 35-53 record as of Wednesday, have explored trading the 28-year-old, who is batting .317 and due to hit free agency this winter.

“For me, it was a personal decision,” Benintendi said. “And I’m going to leave it at that.”

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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