Sports

Blue Jays Slugger Santander to Start Rehab Stint in Buffalo After Shoulder Surgery

By Theo DeRosa

Anthony Santander is edging closer to a return to the Toronto Blue Jays lineup, though it remains uncertain whether he will be back before the regular season ends. Manager John Schneider announced ahead of Monday's series opener against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park that Santander will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday. The outfielder underwent surgery in February to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder and is now working toward rejoining the Major League roster. Schneider said Santander will need an extended, Spring Training-like buildup before he's ready to return to Toronto. He is expected to open his rehab assignment as a designated hitter before transitioning to outfield duties. "It'll be a handful of games, at least," Schneider said, describing the expected length of the assignment. "We want to see how he's feeling, how he's hitting the ball. We'll definitely be in touch with him once he gets rolling." A switch-hitting power threat, Santander could provide a significant boost to the Blue Jays' lineup once fully healthy. He hit 44 home runs for the Baltimore Orioles in an All-Star 2024 season. However, after signing a five-year, $92.5 million contract with Toronto in January 2025, his debut season with the club was hampered by the shoulder injury. He appeared in only 54 regular-season games, hitting .175 with six home runs, and had a limited impact in the postseason, hitting just one home run and posting a .564 OPS before being removed from the roster during the ALCS. Having not played in a game since mid-October, Santander may show some rust initially, but the Blue Jays are not concerned. "He's notoriously kind of a slow starter, too, so we want to make sure that he's functioning at the normal level that he can," Schneider said. "If he can help us, it'd be great." Santander's career statistics show fairly balanced performance against pitchers of both hands, with a .767 OPS against left-handers and .761 against right-handers. However, in his limited 2025 season, he struggled significantly against left-handed pitching, going 7-for-48 (.146) with no home runs, 20 strikeouts, and a .442 OPS. Despite this, Schneider emphasized that the team's priority is Santander's health rather than adjustments to his batting approach against lefties. "I know last year was a little different based on the shoulder and how he was feeling," Schneider said. "It's kind of like, 'Go get 'em.'"