It likely won’t be long before catcher Danny Jansen is back up with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The 28-year-old backstop, currently on the 10-day IL due to a fractured right wrist, began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday, where he hit second as the designated hitter. And it wasn’t long before his pull-happy power stroke returned in full force.
Jansen recorded a pair of hits over three at-bats, including a grand slam that travelled a projected 405 feet to left field and came off his barrel at 108.2 m.p.h.
DANNY JANSEN
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108.2 | 405FT pic.twitter.com/DHXEbThTIj
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Toronto’s right-handed-hitting catcher also deposited a bloop single over first base during his first plate appearance of the night. He nearly went deep his second time up, sending a deep fly ball just to the left of the foul pole in left field before striking out on the next pitch.
Jansen is scheduled to catch two separate times for the Bisons this weekend, meaning he could be back in the big leagues ahead of Monday’s series opener against the New York Yankees. But first things first, he has a few more hurdles to clear at Triple-A.
Alejandro Kirk has done most of the catching for the Blue Jays in Jansen’s absence, although he’s struggled mightily at the plate thus far, slashing .146/.217/.146 with zero extra-base hits over his first 12 games. He has struck out seven times and walked four.
Brian Serven is currently backing up Kirk and has appeared in five games up to this point. The 28-year-old has gone 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, one walk and a hit-by-pitch. He played 11 games with the Colorado Rockies last season, recording three hits over 23 plate appearances.
Injuries have plagued Jansen throughout his major-league career, as he’s surpassed the 100-game mark just once in six seasons with the Blue Jays. Last season, he clubbed a career-high 17 home runs while hitting .228/.312/.474 across 86 contests.
It was Jansen’s first game since injuring his wrist on a hit-by-pitch in a Grapefruit League game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 13.
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