TORONTO — Four hours prior to first pitch in Game 2 of the ALCS, Anthony Santander sat at the podium and spoke about the challenges that lie ahead, both for himself and the Blue Jays. An hour later, he’d been scratched from the lineup with lower back tightness.
The surprise news forced Davis Schneider into the lineup against Logan Gilbert and the Mariners and could leave the Blue Jays’ bench shorthanded in Game 2, leaning instead on Myles Straw, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Tyler Heineman.
Santander’s numbers haven’t exactly popped since returning late in the season from a long absence with a shoulder injury, but his at-bats have been encouraging. There have been some marathon battles with opposing pitchers going back to the ALDS and he’s made some hard contact, still representing a crucial source of potential upside in a lineup that recorded just two hits in the 3-1 loss in Game 2.
It’s still been a work in progress for Santander, though. In early September, his rehab was also paused while he dealt with some back tightness, and the veteran switch-hitter is still grinding through some adjustments after losing over half a season.
“My swing is not what I want it to be now, but I feel good overall,” Santander said through a club interpreter prior to being scratched. “It’s just more to try to go out there and help the team win somehow, just go out there and compete. It’s not time to be thinking about how I feel right now physically. It’s more just do whatever it takes to help the team.”
Santander is never going to be the Blue Jays’ leader in on-base percentage, but he offers an element of power that this lineup still needs. There’s a reason the Blue Jays handed him a five-year, $92.5 million deal to make him their marquee signing this past winter, and that reason hasn’t gone away with one bad season.
Depending on whether Santander just needs a game off or longer — keep in mind Tuesday is an off day — the Blue Jays need the best of him whenever he returns. For what it’s worth, Santander was optimistic that he was making progress earlier Monday, prior to the news.
“Especially my bat speed. I’m seeing my bat speed a lot better,” Santander said. “Every at-bat it gets better. Not chasing a lot. That’s another thing that’s helping me out. I don’t really want to take — have an at-bat of 11 or 12 pitches. I want to have two or three [pitch at-bats] so I can hit it hard right away. But that’s part of the game.”
If Santander were to miss multiple days and the Blue Jays were to consider substituting him on the roster, Joey Loperfido would likely be next in line and has remained with the Blue Jays to stay ready just in case. Bo Bichette, still battling his left knee sprain, was left off the ALCS roster early Sunday after his attempt to run the bases resulted in some discomfort, so he is not expected to be under consideration until a potential World Series.
