WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Danny Jansen is catching on back-to-back days as the Texas Rangers move closer to getting one of their injured catchers back.
Rangers manager Skip Schumaker told Eric Nadel on Rangers Sports Network before Sunday’s game that Jansen was playing on back-to-back days during his rehab assignment. Jansen caught 7 innings Saturday.
Schumaker put Jansen and Josh Jung in the same group of right-handed bats, and said both are “close.”
Schumaker said Sunday that Jansen could be “ready soon” for a major league return, per Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News.
Danny Jansen Has Been Out Since Early June
Jansen went on the 10-day injured list June 6, retroactive to June 3, with a right forearm strain. He had appeared in 41 games and was batting .171/.277/.309 with 3 home runs and 12 RBIs.
Texas transferred him to the 60-day injured list July 29. The move opened a 40-man roster spot when the Rangers acquired catcher Logan O’Hoppe and reliever Chase Silseth from the Los Angeles Angels. Right-hander José Corniell was transferred the same night.
The rehab assignment began Aug. 11 against Sugar Land. Jansen caught five innings, went 1-for-2 with a run scored, and came out for Julian Brock.
Schumaker said Wednesday that Jansen had come through his latest rehab work without an issue.
Saturday was his fourth rehab game.
Texas Rangers Have Been Without Both Opening Day Catchers
Jansen and Kyle Higashioka opened the season as the catching tandem. Higashioka has been on the 10-day injured list since July 21 with a right flexor strain. He is batting .218/.306/.370 with 7 home runs and 18 RBIs in 56 games and began a throwing program last week.
That left Austin Wynns and Elias Díaz behind the plate. Wynns is hitting .269/.296/.385 in 12 games. Díaz is at .233/.254/.357 with 3 home runs and 15 RBIs in 49 games.
Wynns started at designated hitter Sunday, putting both available major league catchers in the lineup at once. Schumaker said Ezequiel Durán would be the emergency option behind the plate. Durán has not caught this season.
Logan O’Hoppe is the other catcher the Rangers added. He came over from the Los Angeles Angels in the deal for minor league infielder Angel Arredondo and was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock after the trade. O’Hoppe had appeared in 75 games for Los Angeles, batting .209/.271/.295 with 4 home runs and 23 RBIs.
Danny Jansen In First Season With Texas Rangers
Before joining the Rangers, Jansen spent parts of seven seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays and finished 2024 with the Boston Red Sox. He split 2025 between the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers, appearing in 98 games and hitting .215 with 14 home runs.
Jansen has 91 career home runs. In 2023, he hit 17 in 86 games for Toronto.
Texas signed Jansen to a two-year, $14.5 million contract before this season. The deal includes an $8 million mutual option for 2028 with a $2.25 million buyout.
Texas fell to the Athletics 5-2 on Sunday at Sutter Health Park and is 61-64, second in the American League West and two games behind the Houston Astros. The Rangers are off Monday before opening a three-game series against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday at Globe Life Field. First pitch is 7:05 p.m. CT on Rangers Sports Network. Jansen is still on the 60-day injured list and playing rehab games with Round Rock.
