The Toronto Blue Jays continue to do damage control after Anthony Santander shared Islamophobic posts on Instagram last week, but fans have noticed a troubling pattern.
While the team and its decision-makers have spoken out about the controversial posts shared by the outfielder, Santander himself has remained quiet on the subject.
Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro has become the latest member of the team’s brass after Ross Atkins spoke out at the GM meetings this week and the team issued a general statement in the immediate aftermath last Thursday.
What did Mark Shapiro say?
On Thursday, the team issued a statement on Shapiro’s behalf apologizing for Santander’s posts.
“We met with leaders in Toronto’s Muslim communities today, who shared the harm caused by Anthony Santander’s Islamophobic social media posts. The opportunity to listen and learn was important and reaffirms our beliefs and values as an organization. We condemn Islamophobia and all forms of hate,” Shapiro said in the statement posted on social media.
“The Blue Jays are deeply sorry to the Muslim community and our fans for the pain and harm these Islamophobic posts have caused. We will work with leaders in Muslim communities to fight against all forms of hate.
“The Blue Jays will continue to ensure our organization reflects the inclusive community we are proud to call home.”
What was missing from the statement?
Shapiro’s statement was just the latest by the team and its figureheads in the wake of the controversial situation.
But while the Blue Jays organization is doing its best to take a stand against inflammatory comments, one party involved has been notably quiet: Santander.
The Venezuela-born slugger has yet to issue a personal statement regarding the posts through the team or personally on social media.
While in the past he has been a regular poster to his Instagram Stories, Santander has gone quiet since sharing the controversial videos last week.
What did Anthony Santander post?
Santander, who missed the entire 2026 MLB season while recovering from shoulder surgery, shared a pair of clips on his Instagram Stories which included inflammatory language in the wake of the recent U.S. midterm elections.
While the posts shared by Santander quickly were deleted, screenshots from the videos have gone viral on social media.
One of the videos shared by Santander was a post by The American Truth Project which claimed that Muslims elected to office during Tuesday’s elections — including Dr. Abdul El-Sayed — are radicals who want to impose Sharia law in the U.S. Congress.
The other video shared by the outfielder was from the account @ministernsj, who in several clips has described Islam as “violent” and “driven by war.” In the clip shared by Santander, the minister claimed that Islam is not peaceful and there is “no such thing as kind Muslims.”
What did the Blue Jays say?
When approached by the Toronto Sun for comment about the posts, a Blue Jays spokesperson responded by issuing a statement saying: “Baseball is for everyone and the Blue Jays have created an inclusive experience where all fans feel welcome at our ballpark. Individual comments do not represent our organization’s values and beliefs.”
Speaking to reporters in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Atkins didn’t mince words when it came to addressing the Santander situation.
“There really aren’t words to express my level of disappointment with him making those comments,” Atkins told reporters in Vegas. “I’ve expressed that to him.
“Anything exacerbating some level of anti-Islamic hate is just extremely concerning, extremely disappointing. I also talked to Anthony about his lack of awareness.”
When asked whether Santander shoulder address the issue himself, Atkins was clear in how he felt about it, saying: “I told him that he needed to and that he should.”
How has Santander performed for the Jays?
The outfielder/DH’s time with the team has not gone well, to say the least.
Ahead of the 2025 season, the slugger signed a five-year, $92.5-million US deal to join the Jays from AL East rival Baltimore, where he had spent the first eight years of his MLB career.
But while the Jays had hoped the Venezuelan would provide a power bat for their lineup after slugging 44 home runs for the Orioles in 2024, Santander instead has spent the majority of his time on the Injured List. The outfielder played just 54 games during his first season in Toronto and then missed all of 2026.