Major League Baseball was founded over 100 years ago, but no player has ever accomplished what Boston Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen will do on Monday.
If the Red Sox resume their suspended play against the Toronto Blue Jays, Jansen will be the first MLB player to play for both teams in the same game. The 29-year-old was in Toronto’s lineup against Boston on June 26 before the game at Fenway Park was postponed due to rain. The Blue Jays traded him to the Red Sox on July 27.
On Friday, Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed that Jansen will be behind the plate for the continuation of the suspended game against his former team.
The Blue Jays will be forced to use a pinch hitter in Jansen’s place, while Jansen will replace former Red Sox catcher Reese McGuire, who started against Toronto but was optioned to another player a month later and subsequently sent to Triple-A Worcester.
In fact, Jansen was at bat for the Blue Jays at the time play was stopped, meaning Jansen will start at catcher for Boston in the same batting appearance he started at bat for Toronto.
In 13 games for Boston, Jansen has a batting average of .257/.366/.429 with two home runs and five RBIs. This season, in 74 games, he has a batting average of .219/.312/.378 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs.
Monday’s series opener against Toronto will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but before that, the Red Sox will focus on a crucial three-game home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. That series begins Friday with first pitch at 7:10 p.m. ET.
