For Danny Jansen and the Toronto Blue Jays, the scenes of Sunday’s game against the Seattle Mariners were all too familiar. Fortunately, the team saved a thrilling three-game final, but it came at the cost of Jansen, who punctured his hand with a fastball that knocked him out of the game.
It’s a case of history repeating itself as the 28-year-old went down in similar fashion last season. The good news is that the current injury is called a forearm contusion, which should sideline the veteran for a lot less time than the broken little finger he suffered last year.
The timing isn’t ideal for Jansen. He was hitting the ball hard at a pace we hadn’t seen before. In his last 23 games before Sunday, the catcher hit .282 (20-71) with four doubles, six homers, and a 0.929 OPS. “Jano” hit . 226 with 12 home runs and 41 total RBIs.
Although this injury appears to be less serious than a broken finger, it may require a short stay at IL Jansen. This means that Tyler Heinemann, who had an impressive performance in nine games earlier in the season, should be added to the list.
Heineman isn’t known for being an offensive powerhouse, but he hit . 312 (5-16) in a small sample of his playing time with the Jays in 2023. Alexander Kirk, who hits seven hits in his last ten overs, will get the most in Jansen’s absence.
The 2022 All-Stars could find the form they have been missing for most of the season. After reaching 0.285 with a 0.786 OPS, these numbers dropped dramatically to 0.251 and 0.661, respectively.
The team faces a big, tough week of series games with the Dodgers in Los Angeles before heading home to take on Shohei Ohtani and the Angels starting Friday night.
