The Toronto Blue Jays have removed outfielder Anthony Santander from the team’s postseason roster, MLB announced Thursday. The move, which came just ahead of Toronto’s AL Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners, ends an injury-burdened season for Santander after joining the Blue Jays in free agency this offseason.
Santander is replaced by outfielder Joey Loperfido for the rest of the ALCS. Under MLB rules, the substitution also means that Santander will be ineligible for the World Series if the Blue Jays advance.
Earlier in the series, Santander was a late scratch for Game 2 due to back tightness. He then came back for Toronto’s 13-4 Game 3 rout over the Mariners, but was taken out in the bottom of the fifth inning and replaced by bench player Myles Straw. Santander had one run in the brief outing.
The outfielder was one of the biggest offseason signings for Toronto, signing a five-year, $92.5 million deal in January. But after four years of playing 100+ games for the Baltimore Orioles, Santander only appeared in 54 regular-season games in 2025 due to a shoulder injury that kept him out for the summer.
After earning his first All-Star nod in 2024 behind a season with 140 hits, 44 home runs and 102 RBIs, Santander’s career-best year was followed by plummeting stats: He only recorded six home runs this season, with 34 hits and 18 RBIs.
In the ALCS, Toronto is also playing without shortstop Bo Bichette, who has been out since September with a knee injury. Bichette was originally eyeing a return to the field for the ALCS, but remained off the team’s roster heading into the series.
The Mariners stormed to an early 2-0 lead in the series after winning the first two games on the road, but the Blue Jays hit back with a dominant victory in Seattle for Game 3.
Read the full article here