The Toronto Blue Jays are hoping slugger Anthony Santander can return to the team before the year is up.
Santander has been on the IL the entire season due to a shoulder injury he dealt with for most of 2025. The massive signing hasn’t panned out, but if he can return for the final few games and into the playoffs, perhaps he can make an impact.
The Blue Jays are set to begin a three-game home series against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. Toronto is 73-74 and 1 game back of the Cleveland Guardians for the final Wild Card spot.
Toronto Blue Jays Make Anthony Santander Decision
Although Santander hasn’t played in the MLB this season, he is on a rehab assignment with the Buffalo Bisons in Triple-A.
Santander was expected to play several games in the outfield, as at-bats were key for him to get back to the MLB roster. However, on Thursday, the Bisons revealed their lineup, and Santander wasn’t in it.
In the outfield, Rudy Martin Jr. was playing left field, Rhylan Thomas was playing center field, Yohendrick Pinango was playing right field, and Daz Cameron was the DH.
Why Santander isn’t in the Bisons lineup is unclear, as it was expected he’d play most of the games, as he needs as much live games as possible to return to the Blue Jays.
Santander played for the Bisons on Thursday and struggled as he went 0/4 as the DH. However, Toronto plans to play him in the outfield upon his return, so him not even in the lineup, let alone in the outfield, is a surprise.
“It’ll be a handful of games, at least,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “We want to see how he’s feeling, how he’s hitting the ball. We’ll definitely be in touch with him once he gets rolling. … He’s notoriously kind of a slow starter, too, so we want to make sure that he’s functioning at the normal level that he can. If he can help us, it’d be great.”
Santander signed a five-year, $92.5 million deal with the Blue Jays ahead of the 2025 MLB season. He appeared in just 54 games last season, hitting .175 with 6 home runs and 18 RBIs. However, the year before with the Orioles, he hit .235 with 44 home runs and 102 RBIs, showing off his power.
Toronto Right Now
The Blue Jays had the day off on Thursday after a disappointing series loss to the Athletics.
Toronto ended its road trip with disappointment after winning series against the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals.
“It was a frustrating way to end an otherwise pretty good road trip,” Schneider said.
Despite the series loss, Toronto is just 1 game out of a Wild Card spot.
“We’re right there,” George Springer said. “All you want is a chance in September.”
The Blue Jays will begin a pivotal three-game series against the Orioles on Friday. First pitch is set for 7:07 p.m. ET, with a pitching battle between Max Scherzer vs. Chris Bassitt.
Blue Jays Announce Surprise Anthony Santander Decision Before Orioles Series