Blue Jays address Anthony Santander’s Islamophobic social media posts - Toronto Star

The team said 'baseball is for everyone' in response to the outfielder's Islamophobic posts following the U.S. midterm elections.

Anthony Santander has played just 55 games across two seasons since signing a $92.5-million (U.S.) deal with the team.

The Blue Jays are distancing themselves from the Islamophobic videos that outfielder Anthony Santander shared on social media following the U.S. midterm elections.

The 32-year-old was widely criticized after sharing videos that contained Islamophobic messages to his Instagram story, including one that appeared to target Abdul El-Sayed, who became the first Muslim Senator in the country’s history after winning the seat in Michigan.

One posted indicated that America voted for Sharia law, with a photo of El-Sayed behind it. Another called Muslims “violent” while one said, “there is no such thing as kind Muslims.”

The Blue Jays made it clear that they do not support Santander’s posts in a statement that was first reported by blogTO.

“Baseball is for everyone, and the Blue Jays have created an inclusive experience where all fans feel welcome at our ballpark,” said a statement from the team. “Individual comments do not represent our organization’s values and beliefs.”

Santander, who missed the entire 2026 season after undergoing significant shoulder surgery, has over 82,000 followers on his Instagram account. The posts were deleted from his page, though the team wouldn’t confirm if they advised him to do so.

The former MLB all-star is going into the third year of his five-year, $92.5-million (U.S.) contract with the Blue Jays, a signing that has yet to pay dividends for the club.

While Santander hit 44 home runs for the Baltimore Orioles before Toronto signed him, he hit just six homers and had a .175 batting average in 55 games during an injury-plagued 2025 before missing all of last season.

It’s not the first time a Jays player has been under fire for delivering hateful messages.

In 2023, former Jays relief pitcher Anthony Bass shared a social media post promoting anti-LGBTQ campaigns. He later apologized.

Back in 2012, shortstop Yunel Escobar was seen with a homophobic slur painted underneath his eyes. He was suspended for three games and had to take sensitivity training following the incident.

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Gilbert Ngabo is a Toronto-based sports reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @dugilbo.