TORONTO – Switch-hitting slugger Anthony Santander is a late scratch from the Toronto Blue Jays’ lineup for Game 2 of the American League Championship.
Santander was originally going to hit seventh against the Seattle Mariners, even doing a pre-game news conference.
He was pulled from Toronto’s batting order a little over two hours before the opening pitch at Rogers Centre.
The Blue Jays say he’s out with back tightness.
Second baseman Ernie Clement was moved from eighth to seventh in Toronto’s batting order, with left-fielder Davis Schneider slotting into eighth.
Santander missed long stretches of the regular season with back and shoulder issues after signing a five-year, US$92.5 million contract with Toronto in the off-season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2025.