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John Schneider Announces Anthony Santander News After 135 Missed Games
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- John Schneider Announces Anthony Santander News After 135 Missed Games
The Toronto Blue Jays outfield was projected to look a lot different heading into the year than it currently does.
Right fielder Addison Barger, who broke out during the 2025 season, has played just nine games and is already out for the season. Their other projected right field option, Anthony Santander, has not suited up at all this year.
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Santander was re-signed after the 2024 offseason to a massive five-year, $92.5 million contract, and injuries have made this deal look difficult to justify early on. When on the field in 2025, Santander was a disappointment, hitting just .175 with a .271 on-base percentage, .565 OPS, six home runs and 18 RBIs across 54 games.
That said, it was a small sample size compared to his final three seasons in Baltimore, where he was consistently one of the better hitters in the league, which is why the Blue Jays signed him in the first place.
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander (25)Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
That upside is why Toronto is still holding out hope he can return this year. Santander was forced to undergo left shoulder surgery back in February, a procedure that eventually moved him to the 60-day injured list.
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He was expected back sometime in the second half, but his recovery has been delayed due to lingering discomfort that required a cortisone injection.
However, manager John Schneider spoke with reporters ahead of Friday's series opener against the Seattle Mariners and revealed the plan for Santander has not changed and that he has actually made some progress.
"Anthony Santander taking swings from both sides of the plate with a view towards returning to the Blue Jays' OF mix in 2026 per John Schneider. No clear timeline as of now but that's the goal," reported Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.
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Time is clearly not on Santander's side with just a month left in the regular season. But even if Toronto is eliminated from postseason contention, it would be beneficial for Santander to get some playing time and restore confidence heading into 2027, which will be the third year of his contract.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
