Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen expected to miss a month
As they try to hang onto the lead in the NL West, the Dodgers will be without closer Kenley Jansen for a while.
The race in National League West is tight, with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers tied for the lead and the Colorado Rockies lingering 3.5 games back entering Friday. But on Thursday night as they started a series in Colorado, Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen was deemed unavailable due to an illness.
After a rough start this season, with a 5.59 ERA in April, Jansen is tied for the National League lead with 32 saves and he has a 2.15 ERA, a 10.1 K/9 and a 2.3 BB/9 over 51 appearances. So any lengthy absence would leave a serious void in the Dodgers’ bullpen, to say the least.
On Friday morning, Jansen was sent back to Los Angeles and ruled out for the weekend. But quickly after that, the news got worse along with a more specific report of Jansen’s ailment.
Sources: Kenley Jansen is expected to miss about a month as he goes through treatment for his irregular heartbeat.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) August 10, 2018
Jansen has dealt with an irregular heartbeat back in the past, and he had surgery to fix the issue back in October 2012. This time around it doesn’t seem to be quite as severe.
Source confirms: #Dodgers’ Jansen “probably” will miss about a month while undergoing treatment for an irregular heartbeat. Condition considered “very manageable.” First reported: @Buster_ESPN.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 10, 2018
In Jansen’s absence, Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts seems likely to use a closer by committee. But Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times has offered an option out of the starting rotation.
The uncertainty with Kenley Jansen should expedite Kenta Maeda's return to the bullpen after tonight's start. If Jansen misses a significant amount of time, the Dodgers can split saves between Maeda and Scott Alexander.
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) August 10, 2018
Maeda is scheduled to start against the Rockies Friday night, after which he could transition into a late-inning role. He has struggled over his last three starts, with a 6.88 ERA over 17 innings, but he pitched well out of the bullpen for the Dodgers in last year’s postseason (10 K/BB over 10.2 innings-nine appearances). With Hyun-Jin Ryu (groin) on track to return soon, the Dodgers would have someone to fill Maeda’s spot in the rotation.
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There’s no easy way to replace Jansen. But the Dodgers could make an August trade to fill the void, and any possibilities on that front have to be on the radar.