Yankees 'unlikely' to pursue Benintendi due to vax status?

Kansas City Royals left fielder Andrew Benintendi can't play games in Toronto. Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Yankees reportedly 'unlikely' to continue pursuit of All-Star Andrew Benintendi due to vaccination status

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 7/14/22

With a career-best .317 batting average and .386 on-base percentage, Kansas City Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi is in the midst of one his best big league seasons to date. "Benny" was recently named a first-time All-Star, and thanks in large part to the Royals' last-place standing in the AL Central, he's been involved in numerous trade rumors in recent weeks.

On Sunday, the New York Yankees were listed among the interested teams in acquiring Benintendi. Now, according to Jon Heyman, the 28-year-old may be off of their radar.

Yankees are unlikely to continue pursuit of Andrew Benintendi since he is unvaccinated. NYY has 6 games left in Toronto and could meet Jays in playoffs. Yanks are the one team to send their complete roster to play in Toronto.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 14, 2022

Benintendi was recently reported as a group of 10 Kansas City players who are unvaccinated and therefore ineligible to travel with the club to play in a four-game road set against the Toronto Blue Jays that begins on Thursday night. In early May ahead of their first series north of the border this season, it was reported that all members of the Yankees were fully vaccinated.

Coincidentally, among the other teams with apparent interest in the former Boston Red Sox player as of late June was Toronto. Benintendi currently leads the Royals in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS (.786), hits (102) and walks (37), and he has played in a team-high 87 games as well, missing just one contest entering the Toronto series.

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