Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander is under fire after resharing Instagram videos that criticized Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan and political Islam in the wake of the midterms.
Santander, a 2024 All-Star who later battled a major shoulder injury, posted stories captioned "America voted for Sharia Last Night" and "Islam is not peaceful." The posts were deleted after screenshots spread, but critics branded them Islamophobic and urged the club to act.
A Blue Jays spokesman told The Athletic that Santander's comments "do not represent our organization's values and beliefs." The team added that "baseball is for everyone" and that it wants fans to feel welcome at the ballpark.
Amira Elghawaby, Canada's former Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, said deleting the posts is not enough. She argued Santander "owes fans an apology" and that the Blue Jays "need to take a stronger stand."
The dispute echoes the club's 2023 clash with pitcher Anthony Bass, who posted a video urging Christians to boycott Target and Bud Light over Pride campaigns. Toronto designated Bass for assignment days later, calling it a baseball decision tied to performance while declining to say whether the post mattered.
El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers to become Michigan's next senator and has drawn intense scrutiny over past remarks about Israel, Hamas and Sharia. Supporters of Santander say athletes should be free to criticize political Islam without career threats.
Santander hit .175 in 54 games after returning from injury, leaving his roster status unsettled. Whether Toronto treats the controversy as a culture fight or another "baseball decision" is the next question hanging over the clubhouse.
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