Kenley Jansen undergoes foot surgery, expected to miss 8-12 weeks
This certainly isn’t the news the Dodgers and their fans wanted to hear just days before pitchers and catchers report to camp.
Closer Kenley Jansen underwent surgery on Tuesday to remove a growth from a bone in his left foot. According to a team release, Jansen experienced discomfort while running last week and subsequent scans revealed the severity of the injury.
The recovery period is expected to be 8-12 weeks, meaning the Dodgers could be without Jansen’s services until mid-May.
Even if Jansen just ends up missing a couple weeks of games, it’s still a big blow to the back end of a bullpen that’s already considered a potential weakness in Los Angeles. Since 2011, the 27-year-old right-hander has been one of the most valuable relief pitchers in the game. Only Craig Kimbrel (10.9), Greg Holland (9.4), Aroldis Chapman (8.0), and David Robertson (7.6) have accrued a higher fWAR over the last four seasons than Jansen (7.5).
Short-term replacements for the ninth inning role currently on the roster include Joel Peralta, J.P. Howell, Brandon League, and Chris Hatcher.
Of course, the front office could opt to bring someone else in. The Dodgers were reportedly interested in bolstering the bullpen before Jansen’s injury, and veteran relievers Francisco Rodriguez, Rafael Soriano, Joba Chamberlain, and Phil Coke remain unsigned. Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets that the Dodgers will “check in” on Rodriguez and Soriano. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports adds that it would be a shock if the Dodgers make a desperation move with Jansen sidelined.
It’s already been a busy offseason in Los Angeles. Now the front office, led by Andrew Friedman, and manager Don Mattingly have a new spring training task: identifying a pitcher they’re comfortable giving the ball to late in tight games until Jansen can return to the mound.
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
– – – – – – –
Israel Fehr is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr
