Danny Jansen is ready to make MLB history in the Red Sox’s game against the Blue Jays on Monday

By Jimmy Golen, AP Sports Writer

BOSTON — Boston Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen is enjoying his strange piece of baseball history and preparing to first major league player to play for both teams in the same game.

Jansen was on the Toronto Blue Jays’ roster when they faced Boston on June 26. The game was suspended due to rain and was scheduled to be rescheduled for Monday. In the meantime, he has been traded to Boston, and Red Sox manager Alex Cora has announced that he will add Jansen to the roster when play resumes.

“Baseball has been around for so long, so much has happened in this game. I was surprised when I found out I was the first,” Jansen said this weekend in the Red Sox clubhouse. “Any time you can be part of the history of this great game, it’s pretty unique.”

Who is Danny Jansen?

Jansen, a right-handed catcher who spent his career as a relief player, never got enough batting appearances to even qualify for a batting title (though his .222 lifetime average is certainly the bigger obstacle). Since the Red Sox signed him for three minor league players on July 27, he has a .231 batting average with two home runs and five RBIs in 14 games.

But he could already be on his way to the Hall of Fame – even if only as a footnote – because an authenticator is expected to be on site on Monday to obtain an artifact from the historic game for the museum.

“It’s a little weird,” Jansen said. “But it’s one of those oddities of the game and it’s pretty cool. I’m still surprised it didn’t happen, but it’s a cool thing.”

Jansen was at bat with a runner on first base and a strike in the game when umpires called the tarps in Boston’s series finale against the Blue Jays in June. Play will resume at that point as part of a day-night doubleheader on Monday afternoon, Toronto’s first trip back to Fenway Park since then.

The Blue Jays will have to make a starting bat for Jansen. The Red Sox will also have to replace Reese McGuire, who started at catcher for them on June 26; he was sent to Triple-A Worcester to make room for Jansen.

Cora announced Friday that Jansen will be behind the plate for the first game of the doubleheader. He talked a little more about the historic aspect of Jansen playing for both teams in one game, but said his decision wasn’t about making history.

“I didn’t know until you guys brought it up,” Cora said Sunday. “Because of the pressure I felt from all your colleagues, I felt obligated to let him play. [Monday].

“It worked because Reese was a good catch, and [Connor] Wong will catch the second game,” Cora explained. “That’s something cool. It’s not like we’re trying to make history, it’s just that — he has to play [Monday].”

___

APMLB: