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Dodgers: Trevor Bauer Talks Relationship with Kenley Jansen

If you’re looking for an odd couple on the Dodgers, look no further than Trevor Bauer and Kenley Jansen. Starting early in spring training, the two began building a relationship as throwing partners at Camelback Ranch and have continued throwing into the season.

Where the odd couple part of this comes into play is that Bauer is usually seen as a fiery character as where Kenley is generally even keel. Still, it seems like some of that Bauer fire could be rubbing off on Kenley, even if Trevor downplays the connection.



Moreover, am570’s Dave Vassegh asked the right-hander point blank if Jansen had approached him for help after seeing a new “angry Kenley” on the mound. Bauer took the whole team approach.

Nah, it’s not something where he sits down and asks me a bunch of stuff. We’re in the clubhouse together. We talk together, we play catch together, we’re around and sharing ideas back and forth and it really is a testament to what the organization has put together in the culture. Guys are talking.

Bauer took a side trip to set up a scenario while continuing his praise of the LA organization.

I may talk to Jimmy Nelson and say something and he may be then talking to Kenley and say something I said. And same thing in reverse. And talking to Connor McGuiness and Mark [Prior] and all the people around that have great information. It’s just kind of a sharing environment. We’re talking baseball all the time, so I wouldn’t say I have any direct influence on Kenley, but it’s a matter of getting the best ideas to the surface and figuring out who can best communicate ideas. 

Dodgers: Dave Roberts and Justin Turner Like ‘Angry’ Kenley Jansen

So it’s up to you on how you want to process all of that and take Kenley’s last few outings into consideration. Sometimes you need to be angry. You may need to hype yourself up and breathe through your eyelids to reset your brain. Whatever it may be, we’ve seen a markedly different Kenley Jansen (granted, it’s only over two games). One that seems to be channeling a little Trevor Bauer on the mound.

NEXT: Dave Roberts Feels Padres are Aiming to ‘Copy Cat’ LA

Clint Pasillas

Clint Pasillas has been writing, blogging, and podcasting about the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2008. Under Clint's leadership as the Lead Editor, Dodgers Nation has grown into one of the most read baseball sites in the world with millions of unique visitors per month. Find him online on Twitter/X or his YouTube channel!

2 Comments

  1. Sometimes you need to get angry and sometimes you need the “sticky stuff”…Beware of Sticky Fingers advice!

  2. It’s funny, I thought Kenley’s problems were primarily about velocity but Kershaw wasn’t throwing any faster last nite than Jansen usually does and look at the results against a pretty good team. A lot of pitchers get by mixing speed, location and something nasty to finish guys off with. I see Kenley get ahead and then throw stuff nobody is going to swing at, hoping they’ll swing at his sucker pitches. Maybe his problem is between his ears. Does he do better with Barnes catching him?

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