Tampa Bay Rays Catcher Danny Jansen Aiming to Return From Rib Injury

Danny Jansen has been out the past few days dealing with a pulled rib muscle, but he could return to the Tampa Bay Rays' lineup before the end of spring training.

Port Charlotte, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays catcher Danny Jansen (19) singles during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Charlotte Sports Park. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Tampa Bay Rays catcher Danny Jansen has been out for the past few days due to a pulled rib muscle, manager Kevin Cash told reporters Saturday morning.

Jansen hasn't appeared in a Grapefruit League game since Wednesday, when he went 1-for-3 with a solo home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Cash is aiming to get the veteran free agent addition back in the lineup either Sunday against the New York Yankees or Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies.

From there, Jansen's next step towards a full recovery would be Wednesday's intrasquad game that closes out spring training.

"We're trying to just manage it and keep him off the field for a couple days," Cash said, per FanDuel Sports Network's Ryan Bass. "He's in a really good spot."

The #Rays have been without C Danny Jansen for the past few days due to a rib muscle pull, but Kevin Cash said the hope is to get him in the lineup for one of the final two spring games, or Wednesday's intra-squad game. "We're trying to just manage it and keep him off the field…

— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) March 22, 2025

Jansen is batting .320 with a 1.092 OPS through 11 Grapefruit League games.

The Rays signed Jansen to a one-year, $8 million contract in December. The deal included a $12 million mutual option with a $500K buyout for 2025.

Jansen spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Toronto Blue Jays before getting dealt to the Boston Red Sox last summer. On the whole in 2024, Jansen hit .205 with a .658 OPS, -11 defensive runs saved and a 0.7 WAR.

Between 2021 and 2023, Jansen was a .237 hitter with an .805 OPS, averaging 31 home runs, 27 doubles, 89 RBIs, two defensive runs saved and a 4.1 WAR per 162 games.

Jansen is now the fourth-highest paid player on the Rays' payroll, set to take on the bulk of the load behind the plate. He will be backed up by Ben Rortvedt.

Barring any setbacks, Jansen is still slated to start at catcher when Tampa Bay hosts the Colorado Rockies on Opening Day. First pitch on March 28 is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET.

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