Toronto Blue Jays remove Anthony Santander from ALCS Roster

Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters (including Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet) that Santander was dealing with back stiffness

The switch-hitting slugger, Toronto's biggest offseason acquisition, will be removed from the Jays' postseason roster, according to both Mitch Bannon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

The move is still pending approval from Major League Baseball and has not officially been announced by the team or the league.

Teams set their postseason rosters at the beginning of each series. They can only make changes mid-series in the event of an injury.

That requires MLB to sign off to prevent teams from gaming the system by faking injuries.

There's no reason to doubt the league will approve this change, which would officially end Santander's season.

A player removed midway through a series is ineligible for the following series if his team advances, so Santander could not participate in the World Series if the Jays come back to beat the Mariners.

Santander was a late scratch from Toronto's Game 2 lineup in the American League Championship Series due to a sore back.

He returned to the batting order for Toronto's Game 3 win against the Seattle Mariners, but was removed mid-game for a defensive replacement.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa joined Toronto's Game 4 lineup in Santander's absence, with Addison Barger moving to right field.

The Jays' offence managed through much of the season without its big free-agent signing, finishing the year fourth in runs scored. Toronto must now push through October without him, too.