Have you ever heard of a player participating in both sides of a game? It sounds impossible, right? But that’s exactly what is going to happen with Danny Jansen. History will be made on Monday when the Red Sox and Blue Jays resume their suspended game. Rain stopped play on June 26, at Fenway Park, with Toronto’s Danny Jansen at bat with one out and the count 0-1 in the top of the second. Jansen was traded to the Red Sox on July 27 in exchange for three prospects. Thus, not only will the Blue Jays start the continuation on Monday at 2:05 ET with a pinch-hitter for Jansen, but Red Sox manager Alex Cora also affirmed on Friday that he will start behind the plate in place of Reese McGuire.

This surprising twist in baseball history has fans buzzing and left many scratching their heads as many players have played for two teams in one day without needing a suspended game, though never for both teams in one game. After the game is finished, Danny Jansen will hold the record of playing for two teams in a single game in Major League history. So what exactly are the contributing factors that are leading up to this epic moment?

Danny Jansen’s trade give rise to a historic moment

As the game between the Blue Jays and the Red Sox resumes, the situation with Jansen presents a unique twist. Jansen, who was traded from the Blue Jays to the Red Sox on July 27, will now be part of the game that was interrupted before his trade. According to Red Sox manager Alex Cora, both teams will have a record of Jansen participating in the same game, creating an unusual scenario. Questioning Cora about the potential impact of this situation,  many are curious whether Danny Jansen will indeed take part in the game that was called back.

Navigating both the strategic implications and the media’s interest, Cora is likely preparing for the possibility of Jansen’s involvement while managing the expectations and narrative around this rare occurrence in the sport. Before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday, the manager announced “Yeah, he’s catching,” adding, “Let’s make history!” 

The June 26 game was tied 0–0 in the bottom of the second inning when it was suspended. Jansen was actually batting for the Blue Jays with one out and a runner on, and he was behind in the count 0–1 at the time. He will now replace Reese McGuire in Boston’s lineup. McGuire was designated for assignment when the Red Sox acquired Jansen. “I don’t even know how this works,” Jansen said to The Athletic after being traded to Boston. “I’ve heard about it a couple times. That’d be funky,” he added.

Since June 26, both clubs’ rosters have altered, and each will need to replace any players who were part of the starting lineup but are no longer with the squad. So, when you add all that up, McGuire must be replaced by a new catcher for the Red Sox, allowing Jansen to enter the lineup and play for both Boston and Toronto in the same game. This beautiful phenomenon is also possible because of the inventive rule in the baseball playbook that allows players to play from both sides in the event of a suspended game. Basically, rule 7.02 states that – ‘A player who was not with the Club when the game was suspended may be used as a substitute, even if he has taken the place of a player no longer with the Club who would not have been eligible.’

The gift of the suspended-game rule

This event is sure to make us forever remember the suspended-game rule in MLB. Even though this is a unique situation, similar ones have happened in the past due to this wild rule. This rule allowed Juan Soto, who is currently regarded as one of the best baseball players of all time, to make his debut before his real appearance. Prepared to join the Washington Nationals in the major leagues on May 20, Soto played a game before making his debut on May 15 – which was possible since the game on May 15 was a suspended one.

Thanks to this rule, Pittsburgh Pirates player Joel Hanrahan was also able to win a game for the Nationals. On May 5, 2009, he threw the top of the 11th inning for the Nats without giving up any runs. Then things started to become weird. It was rescheduled, delayed, and eventually ended two months later. But by then, the Pirates had the better of him. So, while he was hanging out in the Pirates bullpen in Miami, Joel Hanrahan was the winning pitcher for the Nationals when they came back to win in Washington.

Now that we have covered similar events let’s talk about an almost identical one. In a year that most of us wouldn’t remember, Dale Holman did something that might sound familiar. In 1986, he played for both teams in the same game. Starting the game in June, playing right field for Syracuse, he finished that game in August, playing left field for Richmond. The only difference is that, unlike Holman, Jansen is actually making it happen in the big leagues.

What do you make of this rule? Share your take in the comments below.