Boston Red Sox trade may pave the way for a historic MLB moment against a division rival on August 26

The Boston Red Sox swung a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays for catcher Danny Jansen on July 24. Later this season, Jansen will have an opportunity to achieve some rare history involving something that happened months ago.

Jansen, age 29, made his MLB debut in 2018 and wore a Blue Jays uniform until he was traded to Boston. While the right-handed catcher has struggled at the plate at times, posting a .226 batting average and .313 OBP since 2022, he does have a .744 OPS over that span.

As a member of the Blue Jays, he’s played against Boston numerous times throughout his big-league career. That history includes June 26 of this year. However, the Blue Jays vs Red Sox game at Fenway Park on Wednesday, June 26 was suspended after less than 2 innings were completed.

Both teams rescheduled the makeup game as part of a doubleheader on Monday, August 26 back at Fenway Park. This means that Jansen has a very good shot at a rare moment in baseball history.

As explained by MLB Scoring Changes on X, Jansen was at the plate for the Blue Jays when the game against Boston was postponed. Toronto will have to use a pinch-hitter in Jansen’s place and there’s a shot he could appear in the box score for both teams.

There’s also an even higher chance he plays for Boston on August 26. That’s because Reese McGuire was the starting catcher in the Red Sox lineup that day, but he has since been designated by assignment. As a result, Boston will need a catcher to plug into the lineup and Jansen is a top option.

Surprisingly, no MLB player has ever appeared for both sides in the same game, according to the Society for American Baseball Research. Given that Boston is hosting the game at Fenway Park, this seems like the ideal chance to give spectators a chance to witness a major league first.