Blue jays Face Roster Decisions as Santander Returns, Manoah Heads to Triple-A
Buffalo, NY – September 11, 2025 – The Toronto Blue Jays are navigating crucial roster decisions in the final weeks of the season as outfielder Anthony Santander continues his rehabilitation with the Triple-A buffalo Bisons and pitcher Alek Manoah was optioned to Buffalo following the completion of his Tommy John surgery recovery. the moves come as Toronto pushes for a playoff berth with 16 games remaining.
Santander homered and walked twice while serving as designated hitter for the Bisons on Thursday, hitting a 396-foot home run. He has been battling hip, shoulder, and back injuries that sidelined him for the last three months of the season. With nine games left on Buffalo’s schedule, the Blue Jays are evaluating whether Santander can regain his timing and earn a spot back on the big-league roster.
“we’re kind of running out of time, so we’ll see how he feels,” manager John Schneider told reporters in Toronto.
Santander signed a $92.5 million offseason contract with Toronto, but struggled to a .221 average with a .649 OPS and two home runs in his first 20 games before being injured. The team is mindful of his history as a slow starter and needs immediate contributions during their pennant chase.
In a separate roster move, the Blue Jays optioned Manoah to Triple-A Buffalo after his extensive rehab from Tommy John surgery. With a stable rotation of five starters and Eric Lauer providing long relief, there was no immediate opening for Manoah on the major league roster.
“Alek understands it’s been 14 months or so of hard work,” Schneider said. “and it may take a little bit of time.So if it’s this year, if it’s next year, we just want him to be himself.”
To create space for Manoah on the 40-man roster, the Blue Jays designated infielder Orelvis Martínez for assignment. Once ranked as the second-best prospect in Toronto’s system by Keith Law in 2023, Martínez struggled with performance and consistency. He hit .176 with 112 strikeouts in 99 games this season, overshadowing his power potential.
