Danny Jansen Will Make MLB History By Playing for Both Teams in Same Game

Danny Jansen is all set to make Major League Baseball history.

On Monday, the 29-year-old catcher can become the first player to appear in the same game for both teams. How is that possible?

A June 26 suspended game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox will resume at Fenway Park on Monday. When the game was originally played, Jansen was a member of the Blue Jays. Three days before the July 30 trade deadline, the seven-year MLB veteran was dealt to the Red Sox for three minor leaguers.

Boston manager Alex Cora said Jansen will be in the lineup when the June 26 contest resumes at Fenway on Monday.

“Baseball has been around for so long, there’s so many things that’s happened in the game. So I was surprised when I found out I was the first,” Jansen told reporters this weekend. “Any time you can be a part of this great game’s history, it’s pretty unique.”

“It’s a bit strange,” he added. “But it’s one of those oddities of the game and it’s pretty cool. I’m still surprised that it hasn’t happened, but it’s a cool thing.”

When rain forced the June 26 game to be suspended, there was no score in the second inning and only one out. Davis Schneider had just drawn a walk, and Jansen was at the plate with a count of no balls and one strike. For the restart, the Blue Jays will have another player finish Jansen’s at-bat.

Cora confirmed that Jansen will be in the lineup for the first game of Monday’s doubleheader to enter his name on Boston’s side of the scorebook.

“He will play Game 1, by the way, for all the people who have been looking at history,” Cora said Friday. “You know what? Yeah, he’s catching. Let’s make history.”

On Sunday, Cora acknowledged the “pressure” from the media to play Jansen on Monday. “I felt obligated for him to play tomorrow,” the manager said.

“It’s something cool,” Cora added. “But it’s not that we’re trying to make history. It’s just like he needs to play tomorrow.”