Anthony Santander's return could come at Jesus Sanchez's expense for the Blue Jays.

Santander begins a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo Wednesday, according to Arden Zwelling.

"Plan is for him to DH his first game and then begin playing the outfield. He'll need several games to regain timing before Blue Jays activate him," Zwelling reported.

This comes with Toronto trailing 1-0 in its series against the Athletics after a rough Monday night loss.

Tuesday's game is set for 9:40 p.m. ET, giving Toronto a chance to even the series before Santander's assignment even begins.

Santander hasn't played a single game in 2026, making this rehab stint his first real action of the season.

If he approaches anything close to his 2024 form, when he hit a career-high 44 home runs, this becomes a real difference-maker for a Blue Jays lineup that's lacked power all year.

Why Sanchez looks like the likely corresponding move

"Have to imagine a Santander activation likely necessitates a Jesus Sanchez move," analyst Daniele Franceschi wrote. "Really eager to see what Santander can provide this Blue Jays team."

That prediction lines up with how Sanchez's season has gone. He's had visible defensive miscues in multiple games recently, and his bat hasn't offset those lapses enough to feel safe.

Zwelling also detailed how Toronto plans to use Santander once he's activated.

"Once Santander's activated, Blue Jays envision most of his playing time coming as an outfielder. He could also get the occasional DH day against right-handed pitching," Zwelling wrote.

That positional plan makes sense given Toronto's roster. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. remains entrenched at first base, and George Springer has handled a chunk of DH duties already.

Slotting Santander into the outfield, with occasional DH days mixed in, maximizes his bat without disrupting the rest of the lineup's structure.

Given how much this offense has struggled to produce power all season, adding a bat like Santander's could matter more right now than another arm for the bullpen.

Whether the rehab assignment goes smoothly, and whether Sanchez is truly the one who pays the price, should become clearer over the next week or so.