The Toronto Blue Jays will be without one of their primary power bats in <a href="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/2025/10/13/toronto-blue-jays-gdb-alcs-game-2-toronto-looks-to-tie-the-series-before-hitting-the-road-to-seattle/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game 2 of the ALCS versus the Seattle Mariners</a>. 
Just a few hours before first pitch, outfielder Anthony Santander was scratched from the starting lineup due to back tightness, per the club&#8217;s announcement on Monday. He was originally pencilled in to hit seventh and start in left field.
Instead, Davis Schneider will take Santander&#8217;s place in left and hit eighth, bumping Ernie Clement up one spot in Toronto&#8217;s order.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
UPDATE: OF Anthony Santander was removed from today’s starting lineup with lower back tightness. <a href="https://t.co/Eqqx5ERSmE">https://t.co/Eqqx5ERSmE</a> <a href="https://t.co/Mp7cdWpabl">pic.twitter.com/Mp7cdWpabl</a>
&mdash; Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1977806766110023719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
It&#8217;s an interesting development, as Santander spoke to reporters Monday morning and didn&#8217;t mention any back discomfort during his media availability. The timing of this ailment is also unfortunate, considering the 30-year-old slugger had been turning the corner at the plate and putting together some of his best at-bats of an injury-plagued season.
The shoulder still isn&#8217;t fully recovered and likely won&#8217;t be 100 per cent until next spring. But he&#8217;s been focused on finding a way to contribute whenever he&#8217;s been in the lineup.
<blockquote>&#8220;My swing is not what I want it to be now, but I feel good overall,&#8221; Santander said. &#8220;It&#8217;s just more to try to go out there and help the team win somehow, just go out there and compete. It&#8217;s not time to be thinking about how I feel right now physically. It&#8217;s more just do whatever it takes to help the team.&#8221;</blockquote>
Santander has suited up in four post-season games with the Blue Jays thus far, going 3-for-13 with a pair of RBIs &#8212; both coming versus the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the ALDS. He had one hit in 10 at-bats after returning from his left shoulder injury during the final week of September, spanning four games.
It remains to be seen if this recent back flare-up will impact Santander&#8217;s status for the remainder of the ALCS, with the best-of-seven tilt shifting to the Pacific Northwest following Game 2.

The Toronto Blue Jays will be without one of their primary power bats in <a href="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/2025/10/13/toronto-blue-jays-gdb-alcs-game-2-toronto-looks-to-tie-the-series-before-hitting-the-road-to-seattle/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game 2 of the ALCS versus the Seattle Mariners</a>. 

Just a few hours before first pitch, outfielder Anthony Santander was scratched from the starting lineup due to back tightness, per the club's announcement on Monday. He was originally pencilled in to hit seventh and start in left field.

Instead, Davis Schneider will take Santander's place in left and hit eighth, bumping Ernie Clement up one spot in Toronto's order.

https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1977806766110023719

It's an interesting development, as Santander spoke to reporters Monday morning and didn't mention any back discomfort during his media availability. The timing of this ailment is also unfortunate, considering the 30-year-old slugger had been turning the corner at the plate and putting together some of his best at-bats of an injury-plagued season.

The shoulder still isn't fully recovered and likely won't be 100 per cent until next spring. But he's been focused on finding a way to contribute whenever he's been in the lineup.
<blockquote>"My swing is not what I want it to be now, but I feel good overall," Santander said. "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."</blockquote>
Santander has suited up in four post-season games with the Blue Jays thus far, going 3-for-13 with a pair of RBIs -- both coming versus the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the ALDS. He had one hit in 10 at-bats after returning from his left shoulder injury during the final week of September, spanning four games.

It remains to be seen if this recent back flare-up will impact Santander's status for the remainder of the ALCS, with the best-of-seven tilt shifting to the Pacific Northwest following Game 2.

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