Danny Jansen and the Odds of Playing for Both Teams in the Same Game

Credit: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox

By Tucker Harlin

They say you see something new in baseball every day.

That’s the truth for most baseball fans, and it could definitely be true for Boston Red Sox fans when they venture to Fenway Park August 26.

Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen had played his entire seven-year career for the Toronto Blue Jays until the 2024 trade deadline, which saw him head to division rival Boston.

On June 26, the two had to suspend a game halfway through the second inning due to weather. While he didn’t log any at bats, Jansen did catch for the Blue Jays in the first inning.

Right now, Jansen has only appeared as a designated hitter for the Red Sox. Should he appear in the resumed game in August, it would be the first time a player has ever played for both teams in the same game in MLB history.

This raises the question: what are the odds of an athlete playing for both teams in the same game across other sports?

Surprisingly, this has actually happened in the NBA, a league that doesn’t deal with weather delays.

In November of 1978, the Nets put a loss against the Sixers under protest because of the actions of an official. They won the protest and the two played the fourth quarter over again in March. However, Nets guard Eric Money was traded to the Sixers between the replay and the first game and wound up scoring points for both teams. NHL is another league

Hard to imagine this is a possibility in the college ranks with transfer portal rules not allowing players to transfer mid season and be granted immediate eligibility, but there could be a day when that changes.

It’s definitely not impossible in the NFL. Hypothetically, a game could start and be suspended due to heavy rain or snow late in the season. The trade deadline could hit and a player could be traded between the teams and the game could resume with that player now on the other team.