Major League Baseball was founded well over 100 years ago, but never before has a player done what Boston Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen did on Monday.
When the Red Sox resumed their suspended game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Jansen became the first MLB player to appear in the same game for both teams. 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.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed on Friday that Jansen will be behind the plate for the continuation of the suspended game against his former team.
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The Blue Jays were forced to use a pinch-hitter (Daulton Varsho) in Jansen's place, while Jansen replaced former Red Sox catcher Reese McGuire, who was in the lineup vs. Toronto but was designated for assignment a month later and subsequently assigned to Triple-A Worcester.
In fact, Jansen was batting for the Blue Jays when the game was suspended, which means that Jansen caught for Boston in the same at-bat that he began as a hitter for Toronto.
MLB
Through 13 games played for Boston, Jansen has slashed .257/.366/.429 with two home runs and five RBI. He's hitting .219/.312/.378 with eight homers and 23 RBI in 74 games this season.
Monday's series opener vs. Toronto has playoff implications as well; the Red Sox are 4.5 games out of the third American League wild card spot after dropping two of three to the Arizona Diamondbacks and desperately need a win to stay alive in the postseason race.
