Unvaccinated Phillies Catcher Grouses About His Ban from Playing in Toronto Due to Vax Rules: ‘Not Going to Let Canada Tell Me What to Put In My Body’

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto remarked on Tuesday that he won’t let Canada dictate what he should do with his body in not wanting to get vaccinated against Covid-19 ahead of playing the Toronto Blue Jays on their own home turf.

Canada requires foreign travelers to be vaccinated against Covid in order to enter the country.

“How do you feel about it, I guess? Some people would say you’re letting your team down,” said a reporter to Realmuto. “Teammates have supported you, though. So how do you feel about it?”

Realmuto called the matter “an extremely unfortunate situation.”

“It’s an extremely unfortunate situation. Obviously my teammates know how I feel about them and how bad I want to be out there with them,” he said. “But it’s just an unfortunate that I’m not able to make the trip.”

Another reporter asked Realmuto what his “reservations” are with the Covid vaccine.

“I’m a healthy 31-year-old professional athlete that I just didn’t feel the need to get it,” he said. “I’ve had Covid a couple times and super mild symptoms back when I first came out and when it came time to decide whether I needed the vaccine or not, talking with a couple doctors that I knew and told them my story and just really decided I didn’t think I needed it. I wasn’t going to take it just ‘cause I was told to basically.”

Watch above, via NBC Sports Philadelphia.