Santander (shoulder) targeting August return

The Jays needed to clear a couple of spots on their 40-man roster to add reinforcements to their bullpen on Sunday and moving Santander to the 60-day injured list was one way to accomplish that goal. We still haven’t received an official timeline from the Jays on when he may be able to return following surgery to repair a labral tear in his left shoulder, but he’ll miss the first couple of months of the season at a minimum.

Santander is facing a lengthy absence, likely five to six months, after undergoing surgery to repair a labral tear in his left shoulder. There should be a clearer timetable at some point this summer once he’s cleared to resume baseball activities. It seems like a long shot that he’ll have any fantasy relevance this season.

It’s labrum surgery. The Jays had indicated that Santander would be healthy this year after last year’s shoulder issues, but obviously things didn’t respond as hoped after he resumed baseball activities. This opens things back up with a Blue Jays lineup that had seemed set with Kazuma Okamoto essentially replacing Bo Bichette as the one real change from last year. As things stand now, they’ll probably go back to using a Nathan Lukes/Davis Schneider platoon in left field, though maybe Joey Loperfido could enter the mix. Santander would probably return around the All-Star break in a best-case scenario.

If Santander is healthy, the Blue Jays will almost assuredly give the 30-year-old a spot in their starting lineup after signing him to a five-year, $92.5 million deal last year. However, he won’t have a long leash. With George Springer locked in at designated hitter, Santander would need to start in right field, but the Blue Jays also have Myles Straw, Davis Schneider, and are firmly in the mix for Kyle Tucker. The key for Santander will be getting healthy in time for spring training, and then the team can go from there.

The move has been made official by Major League Baseball, which approves all injury-related transactions during the postseason. The decision eliminates Santander from consideration for the World Series, if Toronto manages to advance. The switch-hitting 30-year-old slugger has been dealing with a lingering back issue throughout the playoffs. It’ll be Joey Loperfido taking his place on Toronto’s roster for the remainder of the best-of-seven series.

Santander, who went 0-for-2 with a walk during Wednesday’s Game 3 rout in Seattle, continues to deal with a lingering back issue, according to Blue Jays manager John Schneider. The switch-hitting 30-year-old slugger takes a seat with Addison Barger getting the nod in right field and Isiah Kiner-Falefa drawing into the lineup at second base for the first time in the series. Here’s the full lineup: George Springer (DH), Nathan Lukes (LF), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Alejandro Kirk (C), Daulton Varsho (CF), Ernie Clement (3B), Barger (RF), Kiner-Falefa (2B) and Andrés Giménez (SS).

Santander was scratched from the lineup for Game 2, but he’s well enough to hit in the middle of the lineup against George Kirby and the Mariners in a must-win contest. Davis Schneider retreats to the bench with Santander back. The full lineup for Toronto: George Springer CF, Nathan Lukes RF, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B, Santander RF, Alejandro Kirk C, Dalton Varsho CF, Addison Barger 3B, Ernie Clement 2B, and Andres Gimenez SS.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider confirmed Santander was available to pinch-hit during Monday’s lopsided Game 2 loss in Toronto after being scratched from the lineup with lower back tightness. The switch-hitting veteran slugger figures to be ready to get back in the lineup for Game 3 on Wednesday evening out in Seattle.

Davis Schneider, who went 2-for-6 with a double and two walks in the series against the Yankees, is replacing him in left field. Santander is likely day-to-day.

The Jays had Nathan Lukes in left field and Santander in right on Wednesday, but those two have swapped spots tonight. Other than that, the one change in the lineup is that Santander has been dropped one spot behind Ernie Clement. The full lineup: George Springer (DH), Lukes (LF), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Addison Barger (3B), Alejandro Kirk (C), Daulton Varsho (CF), Clement (2B), Anthony Santander (LF) and Andrés Giménez (SS).