Anthony Santander’s anti-Muslim social media posts in the wake of Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s U.S. Senate victory in Michigan did not sit well with his boss.
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins spoke with reporters Tuesday at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas to say he had spoken with Santander about how displeased he was with the posts on his Instagram Story.
“There really aren’t words to express my level of disappointment with him making those comments. I’ve expressed that to him,” Atkins said, according to Sportsnet.
El-Sayed, in last week’s midterm elections, defeated Republican challenger Mike Rogers in the battleground state. Santander took to his Instagram Story and shared posts that slammed the Muslim faith. El-Sayed is the first Muslim-American ever to be elected to the Senate.
On his Instagram Story, the Blue Jays slugger shared at least two videos, one that included the caption, “America voted for Sharia last night!” Another said that “Muslims are not peaceful.”
The Blue Jays, on Thursday, shared a statement with multiple outlets that said Santander’s posts did not reflect the stance of the organization.
“Baseball is for everyone, and the Blue Jays have created an inclusive experience where all fans feel welcome at our ballpark,” the team said. “Individual comments do not represent our organization’s values and beliefs.”
Atkins said he spoke with Santander and that his social media posts did not have “awareness.”
“Anything exacerbating some level of anti-Islamic hate is just extremely concerning, extremely disappointing,” Atkins added. “I also talked to Anthony about his lack of awareness.”
Santander, an All-Star in 2024 with the Orioles, signed a five-year, $92.5 million contract with Toronto before the 2025 season. He played just 50 games that year before missing the entirety of the 2026 campaign after undergoing shoulder surgery and later dealing with a back issue during rehab.
