Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander apologized Friday, Nov. 13, for sharing anti-Muslim social media posts on his Instagram account on Nov. 4, saying the content caused hurt and fell short of his own convictions. In a message posted to Instagram, the 32-year-old Venezuelan wrote that after reflection and conversations with people he trusts, he recognized he should have been more thoughtful about what he shared and about the responsibility that comes with having a public voice.
The posts included two videos: one of a Christian preacher disparaging Muslims, and another suggesting Sharia law would be imposed on the United States after Abdul El-Sayed's election to the Senate in Michigan. Santander deleted them the morning after he shared them. He said that as a man of faith he believes every person deserves dignity and respect regardless of religion, background or beliefs, and pledged that none of his communications would promote hate or support discrimination or violence against anyone.S1S2
The apology followed a series of responses from the club. The Blue Jays issued a statement distancing the organization from the posts, general manager Ross Atkins said he recommended Santander apologize publicly, and president and chief executive Mark Shapiro apologized to the Muslim community and fans after meeting with community leaders in Toronto. Dodgers advisor Farhan Zaidi, who is Muslim, told the Deep Left Field podcast that if he were Santander he would "shut the hell up." Opinion was divided, with some calling the apology too little, too late and others saying it was better late than never.S1S2
Santander signed a five-year, $92.5 million contract with Toronto in January 2025 after eight seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, but he played only 54 games in 2025 and missed the entire 2026 season because of injuries. It remains unclear whether the team will discipline him over the posts.S1S2
