Santander stays on Blue Jays bench in close game

TORONTO – Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider resisted the temptation to employ Anthony Santander as a ninth-inning pinch-hitter on Friday.

Schneider gave his struggling slugger a day off partly to rest a sore shoulder and partly to reset after a series against the Tampa Bay Rays in which he went 1 for 12 with five strikeouts.

“His shoulder was a little bit cranky still,” Schneider said. “So I didn’t want to force him in there if he couldn’t.”

With two on and two out, and the Blue Jays behind a run, Santander was kept on the bench in favour of pinch-hitter Ernie Clement.

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Clement grounded out to Detroit reliever Beau Brieske for the final out for a 5-4 win for the American League-leading Tigers.

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The 30-year-old Santander went 0 for 3 against Brieske in 2024.

Schneider wanted to give his newcomer a complete day off to rest and reset.

The free-agent acquisition has struggled with a .187 average, five homers and 16 RBI after a career-best 44 homers in 2024.

“I kind of wanted to stay away from him, unless it was something like Myles Straw got a migraine, too,” said Schneider, whose starting right-fielder, Nathan Lukes, was forced out of the game with a migraine.

Straw replaced Lukes in the seventh inning.

Schneider felt that because Santander didn’t go through his usual preparation to play, it wasn’t fair to put him into the ninth-inning heat.

“It’s kind of a double negative if that makes sense,” Schneider said.

Varsho homers

In just 12 games, Daulton Varsho has snatched the Blue Jays’ home-run lead from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Varsho belted a two-run shot in the sixth inning for his sixth of the year.

“It’s good for him, better for us,” Schneider said.

Francis’ fight

Toronto starter Bowden Francis has given up 14 home runs this season after the two dingers by Riley Greene and Zach McKinstry. It’s the most allowed by a pitcher in Major League Baseball so far this season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025.

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