Santander to begin rehab assignment in Buffalo
TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays know the runway to get Anthony Santander ready for the post-season is getting shorter.
Santander was set to be the designated hitter in three games for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons starting on Thursday. After that, he’ll play a handful of games in left and right field for the Bisons.
“We’re kind of running out of time, you know what I mean?” said Toronto manager John Schneider on Thursday morning, hours before the Blue Jays hosted the Houston Astros. “We’ll see how he feels.”
Santander has been out with a shoulder injury since May 29. His rehab assignment in Buffalo, N.Y., was supposed to start earlier this week but was delayed due to back tightness.
“He’ll play a good handful of games and hopefully get some timing going,” said Schneider. “We have a rough calendar draft, but yeah, he’s going to be playing a lot.
“I don’t think there’s many off days in that plan. Trying to get this thing going.”
Santander signed a five-year, US$92.5 million deal with Toronto in January after spending the first eight years of his career with the Baltimore Orioles.
The former all-star was batting .179 with 33 hits, six home runs, and 18 runs batted in over 50 games for the Blue Jays.
Santander is a switch hitter and it’s right-handed swing that has been bothering him. Schneider said the team would consider having him only bat left-handed, but it’s unlikely.
“It depends on how he’s doing left-handed. I think it’s tough to start him against the righty and just make a (lineup change) in the fifth inning or something like that, if he can’t hit right-handed,” said Schneider. “Ideally, he’s good for both. I think we’ll cross that bridge when we get there, and see how the games go, but see how the left-handed swings go.
“If that’s something we think is going to be good for us, then maybe.”
Toronto went into Thursday’s game with an 83-62 record, three games ahead of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox for first in the American League East with 17 games left to play.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2025.
globalnews
