Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins expressed his disappointment over Anthony Santander’s anti-Muslim social media posts directed at Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, who recently celebrated his U.S. Senate victory in Michigan. Atkins told reporters during the GM Meetings in Las Vegas that he had spoken with Santander about how displeased he was with the posts on his Instagram Story.
“There really aren’t words to express my level of disappointment with him making those comments. I’ve expressed that to him,” Atkins told Sportsnet. He said Santander’s social media posts showed a lack of awareness and added, “Anything exacerbating some level of anti-Islamic hate is just extremely concerning, extremely disappointing. I also talked to Anthony about his lack of awareness.”
“I also talked to Anthony about his lack of awareness, realizing that he has a very large microphone, what that meant,” he added. “We’re working exceptionally hard internally to ensure, and we have been, that it’s a safe environment, that baseball is for everyone. It’s very important to us. It’s a part of our organizational values, and his behavior did not align with that.”
The Blue Jays are distancing themselves from Santander
El-Sayed defeated Republican challenger Mike Rogers in last week’s midterm elections and will become the first Muslim U.S. Senator when he takes office in January. Santander, 32, reposted two videos to his Instagram story attacking El-Sayed’s faith. One video included the caption, “America voted for Sharia last night!” while another stated, “Islam is not peaceful.”
Although Santander deleted the posts two days later, he has not apologized or commented publicly. The Venezuelan outfielder faced widespread backlash from Canada’s Muslim community and from some Blue Jays fans.
The Blue Jays shared a statement with multiple outlets, saying Santander’s posts did not reflect the organization’s stance. “Baseball is for everyone, and the Blue Jays have created an inclusive experience where all fans feel welcome at our ballpark,” the team said. “Individual comments do not represent our organization’s values and beliefs.”
The organization has made roster decisions following controversial posts from players before, with reliever Anthony Bass being released two weeks after sharing a post supporting anti-LGBTQ boycotts back in 2023. The Blue Jays, however, insisted that his release was a “baseball decision.”
Santander, an All-Star in 2024 with the Baltimore Orioles, signed a five-year, $92.5 million contract with Toronto before the 2025 season. He played just 50 games that year before missing all of 2026 after undergoing shoulder surgery and later dealing with a back issue during rehab.
Published: Nov 11, 2026 09:45 am