Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander apologized on Instagram for sharing Islamophobic posts on his social media account.
The 32-year-old Venezuelan player faced severe backlash after sharing a pair of videos on his Instagram story on Nov. 4, shortly after the U.S. midterm elections. One video featured a Christian preacher stating that “there is no such thing as kind Muslims,” while the other suggested Sharia law would be imposed on the United States following the election of Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed, who is Muslim, according to CBC.
#BlueJays GM Ross Atkins on Anthony Santander’s posts last week: “There aren't words to express my level of disappointment with him making those comments. I've expressed that to him. I think anything exasperating, some level of hate, anti-Islamic, is just extremely concerning.”
Santander deleted the posts the next morning but remained silent for over a week before issuing a lengthy statement on Friday, Nov. 13, via The New York Times.
“I realize that this content caused hurt and I sincerely apologize,” Santander’s statement said, as reported by ESPN. “I should have been more thoughtful about what I shared, recognizing the responsibility that comes with having a public voice.”
Santander said that conversations with people he trusts and feedback from those he hurt made him realize his content fell short of his own convictions as a man of faith. He affirmed his respect for the Muslim community and pledged to ensure his communications do not promote discrimination or violence, according to the New York Post.
Before Santander’s apology, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins and team president Mark Shapiro addressed the controversy. General manager Ross Atkins spoke with reporters on Tuesday at Major League Baseball’s GM meetings in Las Vegas, saying that he had urged Santander to publicly address the matter, as noted by Yahoo Sports.
Anthony Santander has issued an apology on his Instagram after he recently shared Islamophobic posts. #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/MF662IlhcT
“There really aren’t words to express my level of disappointment with him making those comments,” Atkins told reporters, according to Sports Illustrated. “I’ve expressed that to him.” Atkins said that anything exacerbating anti-Islamic hate is extremely concerning and extremely disappointing.
On Thursday, Nov. 12, team president and chief executive officer Mark Shapiro met with leaders of Toronto’s Muslim communities to listen and learn about the harm caused by the posts, according to Global News. The Blue Jays are the only Major League Baseball team located in Canada.
As for the anti-Muslim videos posted by Anthony Santander, Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins said:⁰⁰“There really aren't words to express my level of disappointment with him making those comments. I've expressed that to him.”
The controversy surrounds a player who signed a five-year, $92.5 million contract with Toronto in January 2025 following a 2024 campaign with the Baltimore Orioles where he hit 44 home runs. He has three guaranteed seasons remaining on his deal, with salaries ranging from $15.5 million to $19.2 million with deferrals, plus a $15 million team option for 2030, according to Yahoo Sports.
Steven Zhou said that community members felt deep distress in a city where nearly 10 percent of residents identify as Muslim, based on 2021 census data from Statistics Canada cited by CBC.
“The kind of response I’ve gotten from our community members from different circles, from various people, has been unbelievable,” Zhou said. “People are very, very upset.”
Zhou said that while an apology is a welcome step, community members want to see Santander participate in educational training as part of moving forward, as reported by MARCA and Global News. Santander is expected to be healthy and ready to return to the field during Spring Training in February 2027, according to NOW Toronto.
Earlier coverage: Blue Jays Outfielder Anthony Santander Faces Criticism for anti-Muslim Posts
