Oft-injured Toronto Blue Jays slugger Anthony Santander was back on the field on Friday.
Santander was in the lineup for a rehab outing for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons, batting leadoff and playing left field against the Rochester Red Wings. He had a single in four at-bats with one strikeout and was replaced by Yohendrick Piñango in the top of the seventh inning.
Santander played two games with the Bisons last week as he attempts to return to the Blue Jays lineup after undergoing left shoulder surgery in February.
The 31-year-old has one hit in seven at-bats, a single last Friday, and has not played since. He was scheduled for rehab games through the middle of this week before he was scratched from the lineup due to mid-back discomfort.
The Bisons season ends after Sunday's series finale against the Red Wings. Santander is expected to DH on Saturday and play in the outfield on Sunday before a decision is made on him returning to the majors.
Santander signed a five-year, $92.5-million contract with the Blue Jays in the 2024-25 off-season and hasn't played yet this season. He also missed most of last year with an injury to the same shoulder.
In his limited games last season, he slashed .175/.271/.294 with a .565 OPS and six homers.
Before becoming a Blue Jay, Santander developed into a dependable slugger over eight seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. He had his best season at the plate in 2024 when he won a Silver Slugger Award and hit a career-high 44 home runs.
The Bisons won the game 7-1.
