After missing the Red Sox series in Toronto because he is unvaccinated, Jarren Duran said he will get his shots so he is eligible to play in Canada later this year. John Kuntz/Cleveland.com via AP
CHICAGO — After being forced to watch the Red Sox lose two out of three to the Blue Jays because he wasn’t allowed into Canada, Jarren Duran has decided to get vaccinated.
The Boston outfielder, who had previously chosen to remain unvaccinated against COVID-19, said Friday at Wrigley Field that missing the series against the Blue Jays caused him to reconsider his stance on vaccination. Duran plans to get his shots and will be available when the Red Sox return to Toronto for their penultimate series of the regular season from Sept. 30-Oct. 2.
“I love this game too much to miss out on opportunities to play baseball,” Duran said. “I could care less about the money or service time or any of that. I missed the boys and missed playing baseball. That was kind of like the deciding factor.”
Duran and Tanner Houck were placed on the restricted list for the series. Houck declined comment Friday when asked if he’d re-consider his stance on vaccination.
The Red Sox will play three more regular season games at Rogers Centre and may play there in the postseason if they make it. Chris Sale, who has also been unvaccinated, declined to comment on whether he planned to change that before the next time the Red Sox are in Toronto. Red Sox Manager Alex Cora said Friday that he believes more players may get vaccinated before September.
“We’ve got plenty of time to get some more players in that series and if we make it to the playoffs, they make it to the playoffs and we have to go up there and play,” Cora said.
Rules require players to have either their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson two weeks before entering Canada. Houck and righty Kutter Crawford were placed on the restricted list for Boston’s series in Toronto in April. Any players who miss games in Toronto because they are unvaccinated do not receive pay or service time during that span.
Duran and Houck spent most of the week back home in Boston, where they worked out at Fenway Park. Duran said he worked out, threw, hit off a machine and stood in on the bullpens of Houck and rehabbing righty Nate Eovaldi. He watched Boston’s games on TV.
“It was a weird feeling watching your boys grind and you’re not there,” he said. “It’s tough to watch.”
SALE WILL MAKE at least one more rehab start before rejoining the Boston Red Sox.
The 33-year-old left-hander is scheduled to pitch for Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday.
Worcester has an off day Tuesday. Sale would pitch on an extra day of rest at Polar Park vs. Scranton Wilkes-Barre.
It would mark Sale’s second time making a rehab start at Polar Park. He pitched there last July 31 vs. Buffalo, tossing five innings and allowing one run, five hits and one walk while striking out seven. He also made one road start for the WooSox last year.
Sale made his third rehab start Thursday in Portland for the Double-A Sea Dogs.
The 33-year-old lefty reached 96 mph with his fastball and recorded 16 swings-and-misses. He pitched four innings, allowing one run, four hits and no walks while striking out seven. His fastball ranged from 91-96 mph (both two-seamer and four-seamer). He reached 96 mph four different times.
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