The Toronto Blue Jays made a splash signing this past offseason, but they haven’t been rewarded for it yet.
Toronto entered Sunday with a 30-28 record, riding a four-game win streak. Toronto was tied for second place in the American League East with the Tampa Bay Rays, each club 5.5 games back of the division-leading New York Yankees.
It’s been an up-and-down season for the Blue Jays thus far, but they’d probably be in a better position in the standings if their massive winter signing was producing.
He hasn’t been, and how he’s injured, as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale alluded to on Sunday.
“Toronto Blue Jays slugger Anthony Santander has looked nothing like the man they signed to a five-year, $92.5 million contract during the winter,” Nightengale wrote.
“He’s now on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation after hitting just .179 with six homers and striking out a career-high 26.3% of the time. He looks like a shadow of himself after hitting 44 homers a year ago for Baltimore.”
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Santander was a first-time All-Star and first-time Silver Slugger in 2024. But was it a fluke season for the 30-year-old? Toronto is certainly hoping not.
The former No. 18 overall pick of the Orioles is a career .242/.305/.459 hitter with 161 home runs.
Once his body gets right, it’s widely assumed that Santander will pick things up at the plate, possibly helping the Blue Jays stay in the playoff race.
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