Danny Jansen is set to make a momentous entry into Major League Baseball history at Fenway Park. The Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays are scheduled to continue a June 26 game, initially suspended due to rain. The resumed game will mark the beginning of a doubleheader on Aug. 26. Jansen, while still playing for Blue Jays in June, was batting with a single out and a colleague on base when the game was delayed. Subsequently, after an interruption lasting 1 hour and 48 minutes, the teams declared the continuation of the game as part of a doubleheader on Aug. 26.
Dramatically, Jansen was transferred to his current team, the Boston Red Sox on July 27. This move set him up with the opportunity to switch sides during the continuation of the impulsive June 26 game. Alex Cora, Red Sox manager, verified during a press briefing on Friday that Jansen will sub in at the onset of the resumed game, establishing him as the first-ever player to feature in the same game for both opposing teams.
Jansen is bewildered, yet excited about this unique circumstance. He stated his uncertainty about how the suspended game would pan out upon his trade to Boston. The apparent historic occurrence has been widely news-covered, with The Athletic’s Jayson Stark providing an in-depth insight into the unusual situation.
Jansen’s performance with the Red Sox since his transfer has been commendable. Over the course of the 13 games since his trade, the right-handed catcher boasts an average of .257, alongside a .794 OPS. However, Jansen isn’t the only one making waves in this rollercoaster game.
In an interesting development, Jose Berríos will take the ball when the interrupted game recommences. Blue Jays’ manager, John Schneider, explained this decision on Friday. But as Yariel Rodríguez started the initial game, Berríos will technically be pitching in relief. This will be his first relief appearance since his throw of 1 1/3 innings in his last performance of the season in 2017, which ended a streak of 166 consecutive starts.
Adding to the intriguing plot, Rodríguez is slated to start the next day’s game – essentially marking him as the starter on consecutive days, albeit in an unconventional manner. Although the halted game concludes on Aug. 26, it will still be recorded as having taken place on June 26, as per official records. Regardless of the outcome, Jansen’s face-off with his former team, and his unprecedented feat of playing for both sides, has forever imprinted his name on the annals of baseball history.
