By Anthony Santander has apologized for posting Islamophobic content on his Instagram after Abdul El-Sayed was elected to the U.S. Senate.
The Toronto Blue Jays outfielder posted a statement to his Instagram stories on Friday, Nov. 13.
"After taking time to reflect on my recent social media posts and speaking with people I trust and respect, I recognize that I should have been more thoughtful about what I shared on my platform," he said. "I realize that this content caused hurt and I sincerely apologize. I should have been more thoughtful about what I shared, recognizing the responsibility that comes with having a public voice."
Anthony Santander apologized on Instagram for his Islamophobic posts after Abdul El-Sayed was elected to the U.S. Senate pic.twitter.com/8w7WU0PFA6
— Victoria Hernandez (@LadyViii) November 13, 2026
The 32-year-old continued, saying his posts did not reflect his own values and saying he vows to be more careful with how he uses his platform.
"As a man of faith, it is my belief that every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their religion, background, or beliefs," he said. "After hearing feedback from those I hurt, I realize that the content I shared fell short of my own convictions.
"I would like to affirm my respect for the Muslim community and for the dignity and freedom of people of every faith and background. From this experience, I have learned to ensure that none of my communications promote hate or give the impression that I support hatred, discrimination, or violence against anyone."
Santander posted the Islamophobic content to his Instagram stories last week in response to national elections in the United States. There were two videos that criticized El-Sayed, who won a highly contested race for U.S. Senator in Michigan and in doing so became the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. Screenshots of one video Santander shared showed a caption that read, "America voted for Sharia (law) last night!" Another post he shared seen in screenshots had a caption on a video that said, "Islam is not peaceful." He deleted the posts before their 24-hour expiration.
Blue Jays apologize for Anthony Santander's Islamophobic posts
Santander's apology comes a day after the Blue Jays released the second of two statements about the posts. The second statement, attributed to President and CEO Mark Shapiro, was an apology. It said the team had conversations with members of the city's Muslim community to reflect on the incident.
"The Blue Jays are deeply sorry to the Muslim community and our fans for the pain and harm these Islamophobic posts have caused," the statement said. "We will work with leaders in Muslim communities to fight against all forms of hate."
Two days earlier, at the general managers meetings in Las Vegas, Toronto general manager Ross Atkins expressed concern over Santander's actions.
“There really aren't words to express my level of disappointment with him making those comments. I've expressed that to him," he said, according to Sportsnet reporter Ben Nicholson-Smith, "… anything exacerbating some level of anti-Islamic hate is just extremely concerning, extremely disappointing."
Toronto's initial response received criticism for not apologizing and not taking a strong enough stance against Islamophobia.
“Baseball is for everyone," a team spokesperson said, "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.”
Anthony Santander's season with the Blue Jays
Santander did not play for Toronto last season as the Blue Jays went 79-83 and failed to make the playoffs. He has been struggling with shoulder injuries and had surgery in February.
The Venezuela native was limited to just 54 regular season games in 2025, the first year of a five-year, $92.5 million contract, due to a left shoulder subluxation. He returned in time to play in five playoff games, but a back injury forced his removal from the ALCS roster, ending his season. The Blue Jays made it to the World Series, where they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.
Contributing: Gabe Lacques
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Anthony Santander apologizes for Islamophobic Instagram posts
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/anthony-santander-apologizes-islamophobic-instagram-004250873.html
