Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen suffered a big health scare last August while the team was playing in Colorado against the Rockies, having to fly back to home due to an irregular heartbeat.
The heart issue was not the first that Jansen had dealt with as he underwent surgery in 2012. After seeing a number of doctors, it was determined that Jansen would need to go under the knife once again, although they allowed him to finish out the season while taking medication.
Jansen had the surgery last November, and declared that he is feeling healthy and ready to go for the 2019 season.
“I’m feeling really good, health-wise I’m in a better spot now,” Jansen said at Dodgers FanFest. “I feel like a weight has come away from me by doing that surgery. Knowing that your heart is fine, I can start looking forward to next season.”
The 31-year-old looked noticeably slimmer, admitting that he lost around 25 lbs. after the surgery. It’s the lightest he has been since 2012 when he weighed an estimated 258 lbs.
“I’m watching what I eat now, trust me,” Jansen said. “You see how your body feels. All that stuff that tastes good that you put into your body, it’s not good for my heart. So let’s worry about health first. I don’t want to have to do another surgery. I got to take care of myself.”
Both of Jansen’s heart issues happened while playing in the high altitude in Colorado. He said that he will still be able to travel there this season though. “Definitely. I will have no problem with that, I just need to stay hydrated. That’s what the doctor told me, to make sure I hydrate and I should be fine.”
It was easy to see that the looming surgery was something that was weighing on Jansen down the stretch of the 2018 season, so it is certainly positive that is behind him and he has been given a clean bill of health.
By his standards, Jansen had a down season last year. While he would never admit it, the health issues played a big part in his struggles on the mound. He will look to get back to being his usual, dominant self, which would be a big boost for the Dodgers in 2019.
