Jays' Montoyo has no sympathy for unvaccinated opponents: 'Rules are rules'

Toronto Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo isn't shedding any tears for unvaccinated opposing players that can't enter Canada.

"Rules are rules, and that's why we couldn't play in Toronto for two years," Montoyo said Tuesday in Boston, according to Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun. "And from experience, nobody gives a shit. Nobody cared about us when we were in Dunedin."

Canada's current border regulations require anyone entering the country to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19; professional athletes aren't exempt from this policy.

The same rules apply to anyone trying to enter the United States, though all Blue Jays players and coaches are fully vaccinated and able to cross the border.

Opposing players who are unable to play in Toronto can be placed on the restricted list. The Oakland Athletics placed three players on the list during their series in Toronto this past weekend.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora revealed Sunday that his team will have to do the same for multiple unvaccinated players during their four-game series at Rogers Centre next week. Right-hander Tanner Houck said he's unvaccinated and won't make the trip north. As a result, the Red Sox will have to alter their rotation, as Houck was scheduled to pitch in Toronto.

Meanwhile, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone isn't anticipating any issues when his team arrives in Toronto next month:

While the Canada-U.S. border was closed earlier in the pandemic, the Blue Jays were forced to relocate to Buffalo's Sahlen Field for all of 2020. They began 2021 at their spring ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, before heading back to Buffalo in June and finally returning to Toronto for the last two months of the season.