Danny

Jansen

Jansen returns to Texas’ catching situation after missing more than two months with a right forearm strain. The 31-year-old backstop will split time with fellow veteran Elias Díaz until Kyle Higashioka is back from the injured list.

Jansen, on a rehab assignment from a forearm strain, is 5-for-15 in five games for Round Rock. He caught back-to-back games the last two days, so it seems quite possible he’ll be activated Tuesday.

Jansen has been out since June 6 with a strained right forearm. With Kyle Higashioka also on the IL, Jansen will probably serve as the Rangers’ starting catcher once he comes off the IL.

The procedural move opens up a spot on Texas’ 40-man roster after backstop Logan O’Hoppe was acquired in a trade with the Angels. Jansen has been out with a right forearm strain since early June. It’s unclear how much additional time he’s going to miss.

Jansen will be eligible to return next Saturday, though it’s unclear if that’s realistic. He’s hit .171/.277/.309 while splitting time with Kyle Higashioka this season. Higashioka will play regularly, with veteran Elias Díaz backing up, in Jansen’s absence.

Jansen opened the third inning with a 377-foot (102.7 mph EV) solo shot off of Jack Flaherty that pushed the Rangers’ lead to 2-0 and ignited a three-run rally. That would be his only hit in four at-bats on the night. For the season, the 31-year-old backstop is slashing an underwhelming .211/.282/.380 with a pair of homers and eight RBI.

It’s his first three-hit game since last July 5. Jansen started the Rangers’ first two games, sat in favor of Kyle Higashioka in the next two and then was back in there tonight. The Rangers made it sound like the plan was for Jansen to get a bit more playing time than Higashioka behind the plate, but neither seems like an option outside of two-catcher AL-only leagues.

Jansen is up to seven RBI with his homer and four doubles in 27 at-bats this spring. He and Kyle Higashioka project to divvy up playing time pretty equally behind the dish in Texas, but that could always change if one of the two exceeds expectations.

The deal is now official. Jansen takes over as the Rangers primary backstop after the club decided to move on from Jonah Heim earlier this offseason. The 30-year-old backstop hit just .215/.321/.399 with 14 round-trippers across 337 plate appearances between the Brewers and Rays this past season. He’s no longer a relevant fantasy option at this stage of his career but it’s a decent landing spot if he’s going to put together a bounce-back campaign.

The deal includes incentives that could take it as high as $15.5 million. The 30-year-old backstop slashed an underwhelming .215/.321/.399 with 14 homers and 36 RBI in 337 plate appearances between the Rays and Brewers in 2025. When he takes the field on Opening Day, he’ll be playing for his fifth different ballclub since the start of the 2024 campaign.