Red Sox Catcher Will Play For Both Teams In Monday’s Game Against Blue Jays

Danny Jansen will become the first player in MLB history to play for both teams in one game when the Boston Red Sox resume their matchup with the Toronto Blue Jays, the catcher’s former team.

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The initial game, which took place on June 26, was suspended while Jansen was up to bat at Fenway Park. A month laterm the catcher was traded to Boston.

He will go from hitting for the Blue Jays to catching his own at bat for the Red Sox. Jansen will be behind the plate for Boston, while a pinch-hitter steps up to the plate for the Blue Jays in his absence.

“I don’t even know how this works,” Jansen told The Athletic when asked about the suspended game after he was traded to the Red Sox. “I’ve heard about it a couple times. That’d be funky.”

Jansen had an 0-1 count for Toronto when the game was suspended due to weather. The Red Sox designated Reese McGuire — the starting catcher in the matchup — for assignment to make room for Jansen on the roster. McGuire is now with Triple-A Worcester.

Jansen will replace McGuire behind the plate, while a pinch-hitter takes Jansen’s at bat for his former team. Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed on Friday that Jansen would be catching for Boston on Monday.

“Yeah, he’s catching,” Cora told reporters. “Let’s make history.”

The historic flip-flop will take place on Monday, Aug. 26 when the continuation of the Red Sox vs. Blue Jays game resumes.

There are also some other wacky changes happening in the game. Blue Jays pitcher Jose Berríos will start the continuation of the matchup. However, Yariel Rodríguez was the starter before the game suspended, which technically makes Berríos a reliever.

Berríos hasn’t pitched in relief since 2017 when he threw the final 1.1 innings of his final appearance on the mound that year.

Rodríguez will start the following day. This move makes him a starter in back-to-back games, since he was listed as the started for the initial June 26 game against the Red Sox.

Jansen played in 61 games for Toronto before being traded to the Red Sox. It was the catcher’s seventh season with the Blue Jays.

In his stint thus far with Boston, Jansen has hit a .257 batting average, two homers, and five RBIs through his first 13 games with the team. He’s also posted a .794 OPS.