Toronto Blue Jays apologize for Santander's 'Islamophobic' posts as he remains quiet

It's been a week since Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander shared Islamophobic posts on Instagram. 

On Thursday, Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro issued the latest statement in response to Santander's posts, apologizing for the harm that was caused.

"We met with leaders in Toronto's Muslim communities today, who shared the harm caused by Anthony Santander's Islamophobic social media posts. The opportunity to listen and learn was important and reaffirms our beliefs and values as an organization. We condemn Islamophobia and all forms of hate," Shapiro said. 

"The Blue Jays are deeply sorry to the Muslim community and our fans for the pain and harm these Islamophobic posts have caused. We will work with leaders in Muslim communities to fight against all forms of hate.

"The Blue Jays will continue to ensure our organization reflects the inclusive community we are proud to call home."

https://t.co/mx3xaaKnWy

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) November 12, 2026

One of the clips Santander shared was captioned "America voted for Sharia Last Night," in response to Michigan electing American-Egyptian politician Abdul El-Sayed to the U.S. Senate.

The second featured a Christian podcaster making a series of Islamophobic remarks, claiming that "Islam is not peaceful" and saying there is "no such thing as kind Muslims."

Santander later removed the posts from his Instagram story, but he has yet to issue an apology to the Muslim community or those he had offended.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins told reporters on Tuesday at the MLB's offseason meetings in Las Vegas that he had spoken with Santander and asked him to apologize.

"I told him I thought he needed to and that he should," said Atkins.

"There really aren't words to express my level of disappointment with him making those comments. I've expressed that to him."

There's been no activity on Santander's Instagram page since Nov. 5. (Dan Hamilton/Imagn Images)

When the story came out on Nov.5, the Blue Jays organization issued a statement to Offside that read: "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 could possibly face further discipline from the organization or league, as his actions appear to be a violation of the MLB's Social Media Policy for all players.

"Displaying or transmitting content that constitutes harassment of an individual or group of individuals, or threatens or advocates the use of violence against an individual or group of individuals," Article 8 of the policy reads.

"A Major League Player who violates this policy may be subject 
to discipline for just cause by either his club or the commissioner."

Santander is still under contract with the Blue Jays for three more seasons and is owed $62.5 million over that time frame. In two years with the team, he has only played in 54 of 324 games.