Before the All-Star break, Royals slugger Whit Merrifield rather stridently stated his case that he would not get vaccinated because the vaccine did not appear to be “stopping the spread of COVID.”

After the All-Star break, he’s saying something else.

Merrifield’s unvaccinated status prevented him from making the Royals’ road trip to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays before the break. At the time, the outfielder and 2nd basemen characterized his stance thusly: “If it was doing what it was supposed to do and stopping the spread of COVID, [then] I would have a little more willingness to take it, but it’s not doing that.”

Whit Merrifield #15 of the Kansas City Royals watches a ball go foul after a Texas Rangers pitch during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium on June 28, 2022, in Kansas City, Missouri. (Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)

On Friday, Merrifield walked back what he referred to as “poorly articulated” comments about the efficacy of the vaccine and apologized,

“I’m sorry that I poorly articulated the point I was trying to make,” Merrifield told reporters. “It’s an uncomfortable topic and I started rambling on and trying to make a point about my passion for winning that had no relevance to the topic that was being discussed. For that I am truly sorry.”

A vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a clinic inside Trinity Evangelic Lutheran Church in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, U.S, on Tuesday, Apr. 5, 2022. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Merrifield apologized further for saying that he might reconsider his vax status if he were traded to a team in more serious playoff contention.

“I didn’t say people misunderstood it, I poorly articulated the point I was trying to say,” Merrifield explained. “If what was standing between me and the playoffs was this vaccine, I would consider getting it. I didn’t say I would get it for another team or wouldn’t get it for this team, it was simply a point about showing how much I value playing in the playoffs.”

Merrifield claims that, at the time, he didn’t realize how his comments might be interpreted.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t really realize what I said,” Merrifield expressed. “It took me reading it to understand how it could come across. … I’ve wanted to play in the playoffs since the time I put on cleats and that feeling is strong. The vaccine thing … people have very strong feelings about it and I feel the way I feel about it.”

Though, the Royals player understands that his comments will have an impact.

“These guys in here know me and know what I’m all about and how much I care for them,” he said. “Every time I’ve taken the field and stepped between the lines I’ve given everything I had every day. If people feel a need to express their feelings towards me, that’s perfectly fine.”