TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays know the runway to get Anthony Santander ready for the post-season is getting shorter.
Santander was set to be the designated hitter in three games for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons starting on Thursday. After that, he'll play a handful of games in left and right field for the Bisons.
"We're kind of running out of time, you know what I mean?" said Toronto manager John Schneider on Thursday morning, hours before the Blue Jays hosted the Houston Astros. "We'll see how he feels."
Santander has been out with a shoulder injury since May 29. His rehab assignment in Buffalo, N.Y., was supposed to start earlier this week but was delayed due to back tightness.
"He'll play a good handful of games and hopefully get some timing going," said Schneider. "We have a rough calendar draft, but yeah, he's going to be playing a lot.
"I don't think there's many off days in that plan. Trying to get this thing going."
Santander signed a five-year, $92.5-million deal with Toronto in January after spending the first eight years of his career with the Baltimore Orioles.
The former all-star was batting .179 with 33 hits, six home runs, and 18 runs batted in over 50 games for the Blue Jays.
Santander is a switch hitter and it's right-handed swing that has been bothering him. Schneider said the team would consider having him only bat left-handed, but it's unlikely.
"It depends on how he's doing left-handed. I think it's tough to start him against the righty and just make a (lineup change) in the fifth inning or something like that, if he can't hit right-handed," said Schneider. "Ideally, he's good for both. I think we'll cross that bridge when we get there, and see how the games go, but see how the left-handed swings go.
"If that's something we think is going to be good for us, then maybe."
Toronto went into Thursday's game with an 83-62 record, three games ahead of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox for first in the American League East with 17 games left to play.
