Anthony Santander appeared to criticize Michigan’s election of Abdul El-Sayed on Tuesday, with the Blue Jays outfielder sharing several social media posts targeting the senator-elect’s Muslim faith.
Santander, 32, reposted two videos to his Instagram story that attacked the Democrat. One carried the caption, “America voted for Sharia Last Night,” while the other was titled, “Islam is not peaceful.”
A spokesperson for the Blue Jays condemned Santander’s posts in a statement to The Athletic, saying the remarks do not represent the franchise’s values.
“Baseball is for everyone, and the Blue Jays have created an inclusive experience where all fans feel welcome at our ballpark,” the statement said. “Individual comments do not represent our organization’s values and beliefs.”
The posts were removed, but not before screenshots were captured and circulated online. Many Toronto fans subsequently criticized the Venezuelan outfielder over the comments.
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Santander’s posts followed El-Sayed’s victory over Republican opponent Mike Rogers in a closely contested election on Tuesday.
He will become the first Muslim U.S. Senator once he takes office in January.
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Toronto 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, who has been injured since the 2025 postseason, is in the middle of a five-year, $92.5 million contract with Toronto, with three years left on his deal.
His Blue Jays tenure has been nothing short of a disaster, however, playing in just 54 games and posting an abysmal slash line of .175/.271/.294 with six home runs and 18 RBIs.
