Anthony Santander hasn’t played for the Blue Jays in more than a year, but on Tuesday he struck out on social media, sharing posts that many consider Islamophobic and racist.
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 this week’s U.S. midterm elections.
While the posts shared by Santander have since been 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.”
Santander’s time with the team has not gone well.
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.
What do Blue Jays fans think?
Blue Jays fans were incredibly vocal about Santander’s posts, with many calling for the team to take action against the outfielder.
“I’m all for free speech, but this is extremely disgusting and flat-out disrespectful stuff shared by Anthony Santander,” one user wrote on X.
“Islamophobia is never acceptable, and I hope the Blue Jays take the appropriate action, considering they have some Muslim employees as well.”
“There is no spot in the lineup for hate,” another user commented. “Anthony Santander’s posts were disgusting and offend not just our Muslim communities but allies and friends inside and outside of Blue Jays fandom as well.”
“Would be great if there is a code of conduct clause in his contract that would allow the Jays to cancel the contract,” a third user wrote. “Comments like he made won’t go over well in a place like Toronto.”
It is unclear if Santander or the team will further address the controversial posts.