Blue Jays issue statement after player’s Islamophobic post toward Abdul El-Sayed

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander found himself at the center of a controversy this week after sharing a pair of Islamophobic posts on Instagram. The posts came just a day after Democrats made major gains in Tuesday’s midterm elections, including Abdul El-Sayed’s win in Michigan’s U.S. Senate race. Santander quickly deleted the posts, but not before they were screenshotted and spread across social media. Now, the Blue Jays have responded, releasing a statement that made it clear Santander’s posts “do not represent” the organization’s values. Santander’s Islamophobic Posts El-Sayed, a Muslim Democrat and former Detroit health director, won Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat on Tuesday. He had previously won a closely contested Democratic primary back in August. The following day, Santander shared two videos to his Instagram story, according to Marley Dickinson of Offside . The first video, reshared from an account called “@theamericantruthproject,” claimed that all of the Muslims elected to office on Tuesday are radicals who want to impose Sharia law in the U.S. Congress. It included an image of El-Sayed. The second video featured a Christian minister describing Islam as “violent” and “driven by war.” The minister also claimed that there is “no such thing as kind Muslims.” Needless to say, those posts did not go over well with Blue Jays fans. While Santander removed both videos, plenty of fans shared screenshots and called out the 32-year-old for the posts. ‘Baseball Is for Everyone’ On Thursday, the Blue Jays addressed the posts in a statement, though the team did not announce any discipline for Santander. “Baseball is for everyone, and the Blue Jays have created an inclusive experience where all fans feel welcome at our ballpark. Individual comments do not represent our organization’s values and beliefs,” a Blue Jays spokesperson told Offside. It isn’t the first time the Blue Jays have had to deal with a controversy like this. In 2023, reliever Anthony Bass apologized after sharing a post supporting anti-LGBTQ boycotts, and the team designated him for assignment just a couple of weeks later. Santander’s future in Toronto was already in question before this week. He signed a five-year, $92.5 million contract with the Blue Jays ahead of the 2025 season but has played in just 54 games for the team, missing the entire 2026 season with a shoulder injury. He still has three years left on that deal. Clearly, the posts haven’t done anything to win over Blue Jays fans as he tries to get healthy for 2027. The post Blue Jays issue statement after player’s Islamophobic post toward Abdul El-Sayed appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions .