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So far, that thump hasn’t been there to the extent that anyone imagined.

Santander is tied for the club lead in home runs with four听鈥� Vladimir Guerrero Jr. having hit his fourth to bring the Jays back for a 4-2 win over Boston on Thursday 鈥�听but that total was tied for 72nd across the majors when the day began.

“This game is tough,” said the switch-hitting slugger in an interview for the latest episode of 鈥淒eep Left Field,鈥�听the Star’s baseball podcast.

“That’s why I’m so consistent with my routine and my work ethic, because I know at some point that hard work is going to show up and pay off. Through my career, I always have had a tough April. I don’t know why, because it’s nothing (I can think of).”

April finished with a flourish, at least, as Santander belted a game-tying three-run homer in the seventh inning Wednesday to help the Jays to their biggest comeback win of the season, 7-6 in 10 innings.

It was his 19th home run in the seventh inning or later since the beginning of 2024听鈥� only Yankees superstar Aaron Judge, the reigning American League MVP, has hit more听鈥� and his major-league-leading 21st with two out over that span.

Perhaps more important, Santander’s four home runs were the same number he had at the end of April last season.听He finished with 44.听

A career .204 hitter in April, that number rises to .263 in May with an OPS that’s 180 points better than in the season’s first month.

“The good thing is that I’ve stayed confident,” Santander said. “I’m hitting (.175) now and I’m still confident because I’ve been here, I’ve been in this situation. I know I can get out of this slump, and then hopefully we can repeat what we did last year.”

Few people know Santander as well as Jays first-base coach Mark Budzinski, who was his minor-league manager in the Cleveland system in 2014 and ‘15. He likes what he’s seen from his past-and-present pupil throughout the slump.

“Same guy every day, no matter what,” Budzinski said in a conversation for听鈥淒eep Left Field.鈥�

“It’s what he’s always been since I’ve known him. He’s an accountable guy. When he’s going well, he’s going to tell you. And when he’s not going well, he’s going to tell you. He’s accountable to that and I think that’s the way you’ve got to be. You’ve got to stay positive and walk around like you’re the best on the field all the time. He still gives me that aura.”

Santander knows he’s here to provide pop, not to hit .300.

“You have to understand what kind of player you are,” said the 30-year-old outfielder. “My whole career, I’ve been the type of player to hit .240, .250 (his career batting average is .243). Of course, I don’t want to hit (only) .250, but I came here for power and hopefully I can get out of this slump and start hitting doubles and homers, RBIs.”

The three-run homer Wednesday听鈥� a welcome sight to manager John Schneider, among many others 鈥斕齧ay have kick-started the process.

“It was really, really cool (Wednesday) that it was him to tie the game after a tough start to the season,” Schneider said before Thursday night’s game. “I think we just want to see more of that out of him ... We brought him in for a reason ... he can change the game with one swing.”

He certainly did on Wednesday, just as he did on April 15 with a three-run homer that helped the Jays to a 6-3 win over Atlanta. Those were听the only two home runs by a Blue Jay this season with more than one runner on base until Guerrero’s game-winning three-run shot Thursday.

Getting through a tough April at 14-16 was an accomplishment for the Jays. The road ahead will be easier if Santander is on track to being Tony Taters again.