Blue Jays Outfielder Anthony Santander Apologizes for Anti-Muslim Posts
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander apologized on Friday for sharing anti-Muslim posts on social media. He issued the apology in a statement posted to his Instagram story, according to The Guardian.
Santander shared the posts on November 4 and deleted them the next morning. One was a video of a Christian preacher speaking down about Muslims. Another suggested that Sharia, Islamic law, would be imposed on the United States after Abdul El-Sayed won his election to the U.S. Senate in Michigan.
In his statement, Santander said the shared content caused hurt and did not reflect his beliefs. He said he respects the Muslim community. He also pledged not to share content that promotes hate.
The apology came one day after Blue Jays president and chief executive Mark Shapiro apologized to the Muslim community and to fans. Shapiro made that apology after meeting with community leaders. Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins had called on Santander to address the controversy publicly.
Santander, 32, is a Venezuelan outfielder, a player who covers the grass in left, center, or right field. Toronto signed him to a five-year contract worth $92.5 million in January 2025. He did not play in 2026 because of injuries, so this is the first public moment of the offseason that has drawn attention to him off the field.
For fans, the story is about more than one player's posts. Teams are judged by how they respond when someone on the roster says something that hurts people. Toronto's leadership has now spoken twice, and the player has now spoken for himself. The Muslim community and Blue Jays fans will decide for themselves whether the words are enough, and the team has not announced any further action.
