Fact Check: Was JT Realmuto barred from series vs Blue Jays in 2022 due to Canada's vaccination policy?

JT Realmuto has been in a rich vein of form over the past few weeks. The Philadelphia Phillies catcher recently hit for the cycle against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday.

Amid his impressive outings with the bat, Realmuto once again showed his importance to the team. Some fans also brought up the controversy about when he wasn't able to travel to Canada in July 2022 for a two-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays.

For most of the 2022 season, MLB players who were not vaccinated against COVID-19 were not allowed to enter Canada and play games against Toronto as per the country’s restrictions. Moreover, players who did not travel were not paid for those games due to the league's collective bargaining agreement.

Realmuto refused to get the vaccination against COVID last year and was unable to travel to Canada for Philadelphia's two-game series against the Blue Jays. He also lost a reported $262,000 for missing the games.

However, at the time, Realmuto insisted that he did not have any regrets over losing the money or not traveling to Canada. In an interview, he said:

“I’m not going to let Canada tell me what I do and don’t put in my body for a little bit of money. It’s just not worth it.”

In September 2022, the Canadian government announced that athletes, including MLB players, would no longer need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the country. The policy was put into practice the following month.

JT Realmuto's stats in 2023 MLB season

Philadelphia Phillies star JT Realmuto

JT Realmuto is enjoying another productive season with the Philadelphia Phillies. The catcher has racked up 54 hits and six home runs with nine stolen bases at a batting average of .256.

The Phillies are currently third in the NL East with a 32-34 record. They have managed one win in their past two games following a heavy 9-0 loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the weekend.

Philadelphia is still very much in contention for a playoff spot but it will need to string together a run of victories before the All-Star weekend to remain in the hunt.