Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander issued a public apology on Friday after drawing widespread criticism for sharing anti-Muslim content on social media earlier this month.
In a statement posted to Instagram, the 32-year-old acknowledged that the posts—which he shared on November 4 and deleted the following morning—caused harm and failed to reflect his personal values. The deleted material included a video of a Christian preacher disparaging Muslims, as well as a post claiming Sharia law would be imposed in the United States following Abdul El-Sayed’s U.S. Senate election win in Michigan.
"I realize that this content caused hurt and I sincerely apologize," Santander wrote, adding that conversations with trusted advisors helped him recognize the responsibility that comes with his public platform.
Expressing respect for the Muslim community and pledging not to share hateful material in the future, Santander continued: "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. After hearing feedback from those I hurt, I realize that the content I shared fell short of my own convictions."
Organization Response and Uncertain Discipline
Santander’s statement arrived one day after Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro met with Muslim community leaders and formally apologized to fans and the community on behalf of the franchise. General manager Ross Atkins had also urged Santander to address the controversy publicly.
The Venezuelan slugger, who signed a five-year, $92.5 million deal with Toronto in January 2025, missed the entire 2026 MLB campaign due to injuries. It has not yet been announced whether the Blue Jays will impose internal disciplinary action over the incident.