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Blue Jays Still Not Ready To Bring Anthony Santander Back Into the Fold

Originally posted on Toronto Blue Jays on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 5:36 PM ET

There were some major expectations on Anthony Santander when it was announced that the Toronto Blue Jays signed him to a massive contract in free agency this past offseason.

The two sides agreed to a five-year, $92.5 million deal that could be worth as much as $110 million over six years. Coming off a season in which he hit a career-high 44 home runs and drove in 102 runs, the Blue Jays thought they were getting a much-needed power boost to the middle of their lineup.

That has not been the case through the first year of what has been a brutal investment thus far. Santander has a -1.0 bWAR on the season with a .179/.273/.304 slash line. He has hit only six home runs and five doubles in 50 games and 209 plate appearances.

Not only was he struggling to produce when healthy, but he has now spent more than half of the season sidelined by a shoulder injury. The last time he was in the Toronto lineup was May 29. He has been rehabbing since, working diligently to return to the lineup.

When Will Anthony Santander Return to Blue Jays Lineup?

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Alas, he will have to wait a little while longer. As shared by Mitch Bannon of The Athletic on X, the Blue Jays have opted not to activate Santander on Tuesday ahead of the first game in their three-game series with the Boston Red Sox.

Bannon added that it could change in the next 24 hours. The veteran slugger believes he is ready to go, but the team has not yet made a determination of what will come next. Either he will be activated or he will be sent to Buffalo to face more live pitching in a ramp-up. With the Triple-A season over, there are no games for him to get live action in.

Santander will not be activated today, #BlueJays say. They’ll make a call in the next 24 hours, though

Sounds like Santander is rearing to go, but Jays will decide activation or back to Buffalo to face more live pitching (Bisons season is over, so can’t play games there)
— Mitch Bannon (@MitchBannon) September 23, 2025

A goal was set to not be sidelined for the remainder of the season and Santander is really pushing to achieve that. He could certainly be of some help to the team down the stretch and in the postseason as a switch-hitting power threat. That kind of weapon is something manager John Schneider would certainly love to deploy late in a game.

His struggles in 2025 have been well documented, but there is hope that he can rediscover his power stroke. Santander has recorded an OPS+ of at least 120 in three consecutive campaigns coming into 2025. In five out of the last six, he has been in triple digits.

Showcasing that pop over the final week of the regular season or the playoffs in any capacity would help erase what has been a lost first season north of the border.