TORONTO — The Chicago White Sox put right-handers Dylan Cease and Kendall Graveman on the restricted list Monday ahead of a three-game series at the Blue Jays that begins Tuesday night.
The team also waived left-hander Dallas Keuchel, who was designated for assignment last week, and recalled right-hander Kyle Crick from Triple-A Charlotte.
The Canadian government requires a person must have received a second COVID-19 vaccine dose — or one dose of Johnson & Johnson — at least 14 days prior to entering the country.
Players who go on the restricted list because they are not vaccinated against COVID-19 are not paid and do not accrue major league service time, according to a March agreement between Major League Baseball and the players’ association.
Cease (4-2) started Sunday against the Cubs and would not have faced Toronto in the upcoming series. Under the agreement, however, a pitcher who has pitched at least four consecutive innings in a game cannot be replaced on the active roster unless three days have elapsed.
Graveman has two saves in five chances and has struck out 19 batters in 22⅔ innings over 21 appearances. Drafted by Toronto in 2013, he debuted with the Blue Jays in 2014 before being traded to Oakland that offseason in the deal that sent Josh Donaldson north.
Keuchel, 34, went 2-5 with a 7.88 ERA in eight starts before being designated for assignment on Saturday. Keuchel won the American League Cy Young Award with Houston in 2015 and has a 101-87 record with a 3.86 ERA in 262 career games, including 251 starts.
The veteran left-hander signed a $55.5 million, three-year contract with the White Sox in December 2019. He’s owed $14,456,044 for the remainder of his contract — $12,956,044 in salary for the rest of this season, plus a $1.5 million buyout of his 2023 option.