The Toronto Blue Jays have removed outfielder Anthony Santander from the team’s postseason roster, MLB announced Thursday. The move, which came just ahead of Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners, ends an injury-riddled season for Santander after he joined the Blue Jays in free agency last offseason.
Santander is being replaced by outfielder Joey Loperfido for the rest of the ALCS. Under MLB rules, the substitution also means Santander will be ineligible for the World Series if the Blue Jays advance.
Earlier in the series, Santander was a late scratch for Game 2 due to back tightness. He then came back for Toronto’s 13-4 Game 3 rout over the Mariners but was taken out in the bottom of the fifth inning and replaced by Myles Straw. Santander scored a run in the brief outing.
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The outfielder was one of the biggest offseason signings for Toronto, inking a five-year, $92.5 million deal in January. But after four years of playing 100-plus games for the Baltimore Orioles, Santander appeared in 54 regular-season games in 2025 due to a shoulder injury.
After earning his first All-Star nod in 2024 behind a season with 140 hits, 44 home runs and 102 RBI, Santander’s career-best year was followed by plummeting stats: He recorded only six home runs this season, with 34 hits and 18 RBI.
In the ALCS, Toronto is also playing without shortstop Bo Bichette, who has been out since September due to a knee injury. Bichette was originally eyeing a return to the field for the ALCS, but he remained off the team’s roster heading into the series.
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The Mariners stormed to an early 2-0 lead in the series after winning the first two games on the road, but the Blue Jays hit back with a dominant victory in Seattle in Game 3.