Anthony Rizzo publicly acknowledges he's not vaccinated originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
In a Friday radio appearance, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo acknowledged he chose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Rizzo spoke to ESPN 1000's David Kaplan and Jonathan Hood Friday morning, saying it was a hard decision to not get vaccinated and "a lot went into it."
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"There's so much more to everyone's individual story," Rizzo said. "It's on them, it's on their family. It's a big decision for them and their family.
"It's case by case and we have respectful discussions about it, just like we do with everything else that comes up during the year."
The Cubs are one of only eight teams to not reach the 85-percent vaccination threshold which allows clubs to relax protocols — including eased mask wearing and quarantine exemptions for vaccinated players exposed to COVID-19 unless exhibiting symptoms.
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Multiple members of the Cubs organization have said in recent days they don't expect to get to the threshold.
Cubs manager David Ross said Friday he respects Rizzo's and others' choices.
"That doesn't change my outlook on Rizz," Ross said. "He's one of my best friends, he's one of the big pieces of our team. We've moved forward in a great way this year with everybody's decision, not just his.
"We move forward and respect that and do our best to try to follow protocols and keep the virus outside of our locker room."
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