Appleton West graduate Danny Jansen is in line to make Major League Baseball history Monday.
Jansen, who was traded from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Boston Red Sox on July 27, will become the first player in MLB history to play for both teams in the same game when the Red Sox and Blue Jays continue their suspended game.
Jansen was Toronto’s starting catcher June 26 at Fenway Park when the game was suspended in the second inning.
When the game resumes Monday, Jansen will be in the lineup at catcher for Boston, Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed Friday.
“I didn’t know (much about this) at first,” Jansen told The Athletic. “I was like, ‘What, am I going to have to go on the other team?’ I didn’t know what was going to happen. It just kind of caught me off guard about the whole situation. Because when I got traded, it was just a whirlwind at first and I didn’t think about it.
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“But then once that stuff settled, I heard about (the suspended game scenario). And I was like, ‘Oh, that’s cool. That’s a unique thing that’s going to happen.’ ”
The 29-year-old Jansen is batting .231 with two home runs and five RBI in 14 games (through Friday) since joining the Red Sox. For the season, he is batting .215 with eight home runs and 23 RBI in 75 games with Toronto and Boston.
He missed time at the beginning of the season after sustaining a fracture in his right wrist after getting hit by a pitch in a spring training game.
Jansen was a respected member of the Blue Jays organization for 12 years before being traded to Boston.
“The biggest thing you want in a catcher is a bulldog back there, and that’s Danny through and through,” Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman told MLB.com. “He wants to be in the trenches with you. He’s a grimy guy. He’s fine getting dirty. That’s what you need for that position and he fits it perfectly. Jano is one of my favorite teammates I’ve played with and that batterymate relationship is huge.”
Jansen, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 16th round of the 2013 draft. He made his MLB debut Aug. 13, 2018, against the Kansas City Royals.
He has played in 484 career games in seven seasons, with 73 career home runs and a batting average of .222.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Appleton West graduate Danny Jansen will make MLB history Monday when Red Sox face Blue Jays
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