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Toronto Blue Jays get bad-news injury update on Anthony Santander

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Sep 9 2025, 9:07 pm
Toronto Blue Jays get bad-news injury update on Anthony Santander
Daniel Kucin Jr./Imagn Images

Anthony Santander’s nightmarish season with the Toronto Blue Jays is continuing to trend down the same path.

The 30-year-old, who signed a lucrative five-year deal as a free agent last offseason, hasn’t appeared in the lineup since late May due to a shoulder injury. Last week, a plan was revealed to have him begin a minimum five-game stint with Triple-A Buffalo, which would have begun on Tuesday. Prior to the game, however, a disappointing update was revealed.

The Blue Jays announced on Tuesday afternoon that Santander was scratched from his rehab assignment due to lower back tightness. It’s believed to have come due to how many swings he has been taking in recent days, and has resulted in the Jays delaying his rehab stint. Now, the club is saying they are simply hopeful he can return to the lineup before the end of the regular season.

After hitting a career-high 44 home runs and 102 RBI with the Baltimore Orioles in 2024, Santander got off to a rough start with the Blue Jays. Through 209 plate appearances before his injury, he was hitting just .179 with six home runs and 18 RBI. That said, his bat has been excellent in years past, giving many Blue Jays fans optimism about a return prior to this latest update.

This isn’t the only tough injury-related news for the Blue Jays on Tuesday, as they announced hours earlier that Bo Bichette has been placed on the 10-day IL with a knee sprain. In a corresponding move, they recalled outfielder Joey Loperfido from Triple A.

As for Santander, the Blue Jays have just 19 regular-season games remaining, meaning that if he is to get back into the lineup before it concludes, he’s going to need to heal quickly.

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