Boston Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen made history on Monday night when he became the first player in MLB history to appear for two teams in the same game after he played the first portion of the game for the Toronto Blue Jays.
The two teams initially started a game on June 26 that barely began before being suspended due to rain at the top of the second inning. Jansen was at the plate for the Blue Jays when the game was canceled, per MLB.com.
Jansen was then traded to the Red Sox in exchange for multiple prospects just days before the trade deadline on July 27, which allowed him the chance to make history during Monday’s game.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora put Jansen behind the plate to catch for the team on Monday while also allowing him to take at-bats in the bottom half, solidifying the catcher’s name in the MLB history books as the only player to appear for both teams in the same game.
Jansen said after the game that the experience had not fully hit him yet, noting that he never expected himself to be etched into the MLB history books.
“I was surprised when I found out I was the first one to do it. So it’s cool. Leaving a stamp like that on the game, it’s strange and it’s interesting. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have that. And at the end of the day, it’s a cool thing,” he added, according to MLB.com.
Toronto walked away from the game with a 4-1 victory over the Red Sox as Jansen finished the game batting 1-4, including a partial at bat for the Blue Jays that began during the game in June.
Jansen described the experience as “strange” and said he had gotten phone calls and text messages from many people over the past few days in anticipation of the game.
“I never would have imagined myself in this situation with it being history. I guess I would have assumed it would have happened before. That’s one of the first thoughts that went through my mind,” said Jansen, per MLB.com.
The 2024 MLB regular season is quickly coming to a close as teams around the league are beginning to prepare for a potential run to the World Series; however, the defending champions, the Texas Rangers, have struggled to find their footing all season and will likely miss the playoffs.