Cardinals to be without stars Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado for series in Toronto
The St. Louis Cardinals will be without MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt and Gold Glover Nolan Arenado for games Tuesday and Wednesday in Toronto because they are unvaccinated.
Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak also revealed Sunday in a Zoom session with local reporters that catcher Austin Romine is also unvaccinated and pitcher Johan Oviedo will miss the two-game series because his Cuban passport has expired.
Goldschmidt and Arenado, both named to this year's NL All-Star team, are among the highest-profile players this season not to be allowed into Canada because of COVID-19 regulations.
The two will rejoin the team for a three-game series in Washington that begins on Friday.
Goldschmidt leads the National League with a .333 batting average, to go along with 22 home runs and 74 RBI. Arenado is hitting .299 with 18 homers and 59 RBI. They typically hit third and fourth in the Cardinals' everyday lineup.
Arenado has previously said one of the reasons he's not vaccinated is because he and his wife are looking to start a family.
The Centers for Disease Control, citing a strong consensus within the medical community, has found no evidence that COVID vaccines cause fertility problems.
The Cardinals, currently holding the NL's third and final wild-card playoff spot, begin play Sunday in second place in the Central division, 1.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado to miss series in Toronto
