Former Dodgers Reliever Clears Out Locker Before Season End
Former closer for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kenley Jansen, cleared out his locker at Fenway Park Friday.
He will miss the final three games of the season with the Boston Red Sox. The right-hander was placed on the 15-day injured list with shoulder inflammation earlier this week.
“He went home,” Red Sox manager Cora told reporters. “I talked to him this week. As soon as it was over, two days ago, he wasn’t going to pitch. There’s other stuff we talked about, other stuff that’s going on with him, so yeah.”
Jansen last pitched Sunday in the first game of a doubleheader with the Minnesota Twins. Following the conclusion of the doubleheader, Cora confirmed Jansen’s season had ended.
Jansen struck out the side in the first game of the double billing. He wrapped things up with finesse. He retired Jose Miranda on three pitches for the final out. The Minnesota third baseman couldn’t make contact with Jansen’s 96 mph cutter.
The closer’s scoreless ninth inning could be his final appearance for the Red Sox. Jansen enters free agency this winter. Both seasons in Boston never resulted in playoff appearances for the closer.
Jansen will likely look to land with a team that gives him an opportunity to win another ring. The 36-year-old finished the year with a 3.29 ERA in 54 outings. Jansen converted 27 of his 31 save opportunities. He is tied for fifth in the American League in saves.
Through his two seasons in Boston, he recorded a 3.44 ERA in 105 outings.
Jansen was signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent in 2004. The closer ranks fourth all-time with 447 career saves.
The right-hander is 49-26 with a 2.57 ERA in 871 career games with Los Angeles. Jansen won a World Series with the Dodgers in 2020.
He also spent a season with the Atlanta Braves in 2022. Following his one-season stint with the Braves, he signed a two-year, $32 million deal with Boston in December 2022.
It’s almost inevitable that Jansen leaves Boston in the offseason. The 15-year veteran will likely land with a big market team. A reunion with the Dodgers could definitely come to fruition.
The Dodgers are certainly big spenders and the bullpen could use the veteran if he is open to dropping the ninth-inning slot.
Jansen has publicly stated that he would like to retire as a Dodger. Would he be welcome back to the wild wild West?
Photo Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
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