Blue Jays Roster Moves September 2025: Santander Activated, Manoah DFAed

Daniel Moreau
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In a series of moves that speak volumes about the direction of the franchise, the Toronto Blue Jays made several significant roster adjustments yesterday ahead of their crucial series against the Boston Red Sox. The chess pieces are shifting as the team balances immediate competitive needs against long-term organizational planning in what has become a defining September for the club.

Anthony Santander has been activated from the injured list after missing 18 games with an oblique strain, a welcome return for a Blue Jays lineup that has struggled to produce consistent offense during his absence. The outfielder, acquired at the trade deadline in a move that signaled Toronto’s commitment to contending, had been hitting .278 with 14 home runs in just 46 games since joining the club before his injury setback.

“Getting Anthony back is huge for our lineup configuration,” manager John Schneider told reporters before Tuesday’s game. “He provides that middle-of-the-order presence we’ve been missing, especially with some of our other offensive challenges lately.”

While Santander’s return represents a bright spot, the corresponding moves paint a more complex picture of a team at a crossroads. Ty France has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a wrist inflammation issue that has apparently been bothering the first baseman for weeks. France’s production had noticeably declined in recent games, with just three hits in his last 29 at-bats, a slide that team officials now attribute to the nagging injury.

But it’s the decision to designate Alek Manoah for assignment that truly underscores the dramatic arc of a once-promising career. The former All-Star and Cy Young contender has experienced one of the most perplexing performance collapses in recent baseball memory. After returning from multiple stints in the minors and working through mechanical adjustments, Manoah’s struggles continued with alarming consistency.

His final appearance in a Blue Jays uniform came last Sunday, when he surrendered six earned runs in just 3.2 innings, ballooning his season ERA to 5.87. The organization finally made the difficult decision to move on from the pitcher who once seemed destined to anchor their rotation for years.

“These decisions are never easy, especially with someone who has meant so much to the organization,” general manager Ross Atkins explained during a media availability. “We’ve exhausted every avenue to help Alek return to form, but ultimately, we needed to make a roster decision that gives us the best chance to win games now while also thinking about our pitching staff configuration moving forward.”

The Manoah situation represents a fascinating case study in the psychological aspects of performance at the highest level of sports. His dramatic descent from a dominant starter with seemingly boundless confidence to a pitcher unable to consistently throw strikes serves as a reminder of the fragility of success in professional sports. The mental aspects of his struggle became increasingly evident, with body language and visible frustration suggesting a player battling not just mechanical issues but deeper confidence challenges.

For Blue Jays fans who witnessed Manoah’s electric debut and subsequent rise to prominence, his designation for assignment marks a somber moment. The pitcher’s outsized personality, competitive fire, and genuine connection with the Toronto faithful made him a fan favorite whose appeal extended beyond his on-field performance.

The timing of these moves comes as Toronto sits 4.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot with just 12 games remaining. The activation of Santander suggests the club hasn’t entirely abandoned its 2025 playoff aspirations, however mathematically challenging they may be. Yet the Manoah decision simultaneously indicates a willingness to make difficult choices with an eye toward 2026 and beyond.

What becomes of Manoah now remains an intriguing question. Still just 28 years old and only a few seasons removed from dominance, he will almost certainly get opportunities elsewhere. Baseball history is filled with reclamation projects who rediscovered success after a change of scenery. The pitcher’s journey will be closely watched, particularly if he manages to rediscover the form that once made him one of baseball’s most promising young starters.

For the Blue Jays, these September roster machinations reflect the constant balancing act between present and future that defines professional sports organizations. As they open their series against Boston, they do so with a roster in flux and serious questions about the direction of a franchise caught between contention and retooling.

Will Santander’s return spark an improbable late-season run? Has the organization made the right call in moving on from Manoah? As with most compelling sports narratives, only time will provide the definitive answers.

For more on the Blue Jays and other cultural topics, visit CO24 Culture or check out our analysis of emerging CO24 Trends. Share your thoughts on these roster moves at CO24 Opinions.

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