Catcher Danny Jansen has set a unique record by becoming the first player to compete for both teams in the same Major League Baseball (MLB) game.
On June 26, Jansen was playing for the Toronto Blue Jays when their game against the Boston Red Sox was suspended due to rain. The following day, Jansen was traded to the Red Sox. As a result, when the game resumed on June 28, Jansen appeared for his new team.
Before the resumption, Jansen commented, “I’m just going to put my head down and play. It’s definitely a cool thing.”
While MLB has seen new signings join teams during suspended games, Jansen’s situation was unprecedented. When the game was paused, Jansen was batting for the Blue Jays. Consequently, the Blue Jays substituted him with pinch-hitter Daulton Varsho. Jansen, now wearing the Red Sox uniform, played as the catcher for Boston at Fenway Park.
The Blue Jays won the game 4-1. Notably, Jansen’s name appeared in the box score and lineup for both teams. Reflecting on the experience, Jansen told MLB.com, “I never would have imagined myself in this situation with it being history. I guess I would have assumed it would have happened before.”
