The heart trouble Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen has dealt with are well-documented. His trouble has always been associated with a trip to Coors Field, and such was the case last month.
Jansen was forced to fly back to Los Angeles before the series even started, and he wound up on the 10-day disabled list. One report suggested Jansen would spend at least one month and up to six weeks on the disabled list.
However, including missing the series opener against the Colorado Rockies, Jansen was only unavailable for 11 games.
He admitted that when the heart issues popped back up, he thought that his 2018 season had come to an end, via Ramona Shelburne of ESPN:
“I wasn’t scared. I knew exactly what it was,” he says now. “I was pissed.
“I thought my season was over. I’m like, man, f— this. Not again. We’re trying to go back to the World Series. I have a chance to win another Trevor Hoffman award. Man!”
As the Dodgers are in the midst of another big three-game series at Coors Field, they again are without Jansen. Doctors suggested that Jansen not make the trip to Denver because of the recency of his irregular heartbeat.
Another episode would not only be a health risk but also put Jansen in danger of missing the remainder of the season. Jansen nonetheless said that he still plans to pitch in Colorado in the future, particularly if it were to mean Los Angeles is facing the Rockies in the postseason.
But regardless of what Jansen says, the Dodgers will certainly proceed with caution as his health is the No. 1 priority. Looking further down the line, Jansen is expected to undergo another heart surgery this offseason.
