Toronto Blue Jays' Santander barks back at fans questioning his desire to play

Anthony Santander is far from the most beloved player on the Toronto Blue Jays roster right now. 

After a disastrous debut season with the Jays, fans and the organization had nothing to do other than hope for a bounce back in 2026. That hope was completely diminished last week.

Speaking with reporters, manager John Schneider revealed that Santander was set to undergo shoulder surgery, which is expected to sideline him for five to six months. That puts him on track for an August return should there be no further setbacks in his recovery process.

While injuries are just part of the game, there are still many fans out there questioning why Santander, who had injury issues throughout 2025, waited until February to undergo such surgery. The 31-year-old spoke with reporters on Tuesday to clear up some of that online discourse.

"It's not easy to deal with something like this," Santander said, as reported by Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. "I mean, injuries, things that you cannot control, right? Obviously, me as a ball player, coming here to a new team, signing my contract, I want to be there with the guys every day.

"Unfortunately, things happen. They're not under your control. Some people think differently, but I know who I am. I know I'm trying my best to be on the field with my teammates."

This morning, Anthony Santander said that MRIs last year did not show the full extent of his shoulder injury. His shoulder felt 90% in the playoffs, but when he ramped back up in Jan, it became clear he needed surgery.

The #BlueJays OFer on the frustration of the situation: pic.twitter.com/8WD2JZWgqR

— Mitch Bannon (@MitchBannon) February 18, 2026

You can sense some frustration for Santander, who played in just 54 games with the Blue Jays last season after signing a five-year, $92.5 million deal. It's hard to blame him, given how disastrous this contract has been thus far.

Before joining the Jays, Santander had hit a combined 105 home runs from 2022 to 2024 with the Baltimore Orioles.