November 5, 2026Updated November 6, 2026, 5:53 p.m. ET
Anthony Santander posted Islamophobic content on his verified Instagram Stories on Wednesday, November 4. These publications were published after the national elections the day before.
The Toronto Blue Jays outfielder reportedly shared two Reels on his personal page, one featuring Abdul El-Sayed, who won a hotly contested race for U.S. senator in Michigan and, in doing so, became the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. Screenshots from that video showed a caption that read: “America voted for sharia (law) last night!” The other message visible in the screenshots included a caption on the video that read: “Islam is not peaceful.”
Both posts were deleted Thursday morning.
On Friday, November 6, the Blue Jays released a statement to USA TODAY Sports regarding these posts.
“Baseball is for everyone,” a team spokesperson said, “and the Blue Jays have created an inclusive experience where all fans feel welcome in our stadium. Individual comments do not represent the values and beliefs of our organization.”
Santander, 32, did not play for Toronto last season when the Blue Jays went 79-83 and failed to make the playoffs. He suffers from shoulder injuries and had surgery in February.
The Venezuela native was limited to just 54 regular-season games in 2025, the first year of a five-year contract worth $92.5 million, due to a left shoulder subluxation. He returned in time to play in five playoff games, but a back injury forced him off the ALCS roster, effectively ending his season. The Blue Jays reached the World Series, where they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.
Contributor: Gabe Lacques
Gn sports
