The Los Angeles Dodgers withstood the absence of closer Kenley Jansen over the past weekend, successfully taking two of three games in a crucial matchup with the first-place Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
Jansen skipped the latest trip to Denver at the advice of his cardiologist and rejoined the club on Monday prior to the opener of a three-game series with the Cincinnati Reds.
While Jansen didn’t appear in the Dodgers’ 10-6 loss at Great American Ball Park, he revealed beforehand that he is once again taking his prescribed heart medication, albeit at a lighter dosage, per Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:
Jansen indicated he had resumed taking the medication that affected him during his initial return from the disabled list in August. His doctors decreased his dosage, which Jansen said allowed him to compete without feeling sluggish.
In the immediate wake of his latest heart scare last month, Jansen was prescribed rest and heart medication rather than surgery. He missed all of 11 games before returning from the 10-day disabled list and initially struggled before finding his groove again as of late.
Jansen attributed his woes to the aforementioned heart medication, deeming that it made him feel groggy and fatigued. He temporarily stopped taking the medication and saw better results on the mound.
While his cardiologist approved of Jansen no longer ingesting the medicine, the preference was that he remain on it. Hence, the decision to resume doing so but in a smaller dosage.
Jansen also confirmed that he will officially undergo a second heart operation two weeks after the conclusion of the season. He underwent a similar procedure in 2012 after experiencing an irregular heartbeat during a visit to Coors Field.
Like with that case, Jansen is expected to make a full recovery in time for Spring Training.
