Blue Jays mulling over Anthony Santander IL decision

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Anthony Santander left the 14-0 win over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday with a hip injury. He hasn’t played since then, as he’s been nursing his hip. On Friday, the club announced their next steps for Santander with the possibility of placing him on the injured list.

Manager John Schneider claimed the Blue Jays are ramping up Santander on Friday and will continue doing so on Saturday to determine whether or not the 30-year-old slugger needs to spend time on the IL, according to Keegan Matheson. If everything goes swimmingly, then Santander would be cleared to play in Sunday’s contest against the Tampa Bay Rays.

“We’ll see how tomorrow goes. I would say by tomorrow or Sunday, yeah, with the quick turnaround into the day game Sunday.”

The Blue Jays may not be in a rush to have Santander back in the lineup. He’s been struggling so far this season, and Toronto may want to see what other players on the roster can bring to the table in his absence. Through 165 at-bats, the veteran outfielder/first baseman owns a .188 batting average and .266 OBP while recording 31 hits, six home runs, and 18 RBIs so far this season.

For now, the Blue Jays are expected to play outfielder George Springer in the DH role until they determine what to do with Anthony Santander. The Blue Jays are firmly in the hunt for the playoffs, a they are just five games back from the first-placed New York Yankees in the AL East. It’s possible the team opts to just give Santander a break on the IL to ensure he’s healthy enough to avoid re-injuring his hip in the coming weeks.

The Blue Jays are set to face off against the Rays in the first contest of a three-game series on Friday. More news about Santander should be revealed over the weekend.