After Toronto outfielder Anthony Santander shared a series of anti-Muslim videos on his social media account, the Blue Jays issued a statement Thursday distancing the team from the right fielder’s posts.
The Islamophobic posts on his Instagram story included a video, which was taken down Thursday morning, claiming that “America voted for Sharia Last Night!” with an image of Michigan senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed, according to reports.
The Michigan-born El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, was elected Tuesday and will become the first Muslim American U.S. senator.
A second video claimed “Islam is not peaceful,” The Athletic reported. All of the posts have been deleted, according to reports.
The Blue Jays issued the following statement: “Baseball is for everyone, and the Blue Jays have created an inclusive experience where all fans feel welcome at our ballpark. Individual comments do not represent our organization’s values and beliefs.”
Santander, 32, is a native of Venezuela who signed a five-year, $92.5 million contract with Toronto before the 2025 season. He has dealt with multiple shoulder injuries and missed the entire 2026 season.
He batted .175 with six home runs and 18 RBIs in 54 games in his first season with the Blue Jays in 2025. He spent his first eight seasons (2017-24) with the Baltimore Orioles, batting .246 with 155 homers and 435 RBIs in 746 regular-season games. He was selected to the All-Star Game in 2024.
–Field Level Media
