Blue Jays’ Jansen fractures wrist, out at least 2 weeks

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen fractured the pisiform bone in his right wrist during Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, manager John Schneider told reporters, including The Athletic’s Jason Stark.

Jansen got hurt when he was hit by a pitch and expected to miss at least “a couple of weeks,” Schneider added, per Stark. The manager also said the Jays “dodged a huge bullet,” according to Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae. With Opening Day less than two weeks out, though, that timeline suggests he’ll start the season on the injured list.

“He’ll have to catch and ramp back up and hit,” Schneider said, per The Associated Press. “Hopefully, the first couple weeks of the season, he’ll be back.”

When healthy, Jansen has been a productive catcher, but he’s been curtailed by injuries throughout his six-year career and has played 100 games in a season just once. This is the third time since 2022 that he’s sustained a broken bone in his hand or wrist; his 2023 season ended early after a foul tip broke his right middle finger last September.

His injury means that either Brian Serven or Payton Henry, who are in camp as non-roster invitees, will likely make the Opening Day roster as Alejandro Kirk’s backup. Kirk and Jansen are currently the only catchers on Toronto’s 40-man roster.

Serven’s been one of the team’s hottest bats this spring, posting a 1.389 OPS with a team-high three homers and 12 RBIs in nine Grapefruit League contests. Henry’s also enjoyed a solid camp, going 5-for-12 with a homer and three RBIs in eight games.

The 28-year-old Jansen hit .228/.312/.474 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs in 86 games for the Blue Jays last season. He’s scheduled to become a free agent at the end of this year.