Anthony Santander’s first game action of 2026 is almost here, as Blue Jays manager John Schneider told Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling (multiple links) that Santander will start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday. It will mark Santander’s first game of any kind since he was Toronto’s starting DH in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Mariners last October.
Back stiffness caused Santander to be replaced on the Jays’ ALCS roster the next day, ending his participation in Toronto’s postseason run and adding an exclamation point to an altogether injury-marred season. Unfortunately for Santander, things got worse this year when he underwent left shoulder surgery in February, putting him on the shelf for a projected timeline of 5-6 months.
That timeline will now stretch to over seven months before (or if) Santander is able to make it back to the Blue Jays’ lineup before season’s end. His recovery process was briefly shut down when some shoulder soreness led to a cortisone shot, but Santander now seems to be back on track. Santander will surely need at least a week of games to ramp up, and there’s a bit of a ticking-clock aspect since the minor league season ends on September 20.
Zwelling writes that the Jays plan to primarily use Santander as a corner outfielder. George Springer has basically been a full-time DH all year, so Santander will have to play the field unless Springer gets an off-day or makes a rare appearance in left field. Though Santander has never been known for his glovework, the Jays will happily put up with some subpar defense if Santander can regain any of his old form at the plate.
Formerly a dangerous power bat for the Orioles, Santander’s 44-homer platform year in 2024 paid off in the form of a five-year, $92.5MM free agent deal with the Blue Jays. However, injuries limited Santander to only 221 plate appearances in 2025, and he hit .175/271/.294 with five homers.
Even if the surgery corrected the shoulder problems that hampered Santander last season, it is anyone’s guess as to how the switch-hitter will perform after such a long layoff. Santander is also returning with the added pressure of the playoff race, as the Blue Jays are battling the Guardians for the final AL wild card slot. Even if Santander isn’t fully polished at the plate, delivering some power would alone help a Toronto lineup that ranks near the bottom of the league in home runs.
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