RADIO
The Dodgers announced Tuesday closer Kenley Jansen will be out at least 8-12 weeks after undergoing surgery on his left foot. The announcement, via Jon Weisman states:
“This morning at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, Dodger pitcher Kenley Jansen underwent surgery to remove a growth from a bone in his left foot. This was discovered when Kenley reported discomfort while running last week. A subsequent X-Ray, MRI and CT scan showed the problem in the 5th metatarsal of his left foot. The surgery was performed by Drs. Earl Brien and David Thordarson under the direction of Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
Jansen will be on crutches for about 10 days and then a boot for 3-4 weeks. How he progresses during the rehab process will determine his return to competition, but it is expected to be approximately 8-12 weeks.”
What this means for Jansen is that he will not be ready for Opening Day, and could miss time through May as well. This isn't good news for the Dodgers in any way. Even though they are one of the best and deepest teams in the National League, their bullpen is not an area of strength.
Brandon League and Joel Peralta seem like the two candidates for the early ninth inning work, and J.P. Howell, Paco Rodriguez and Juan Nicasio also should be in the Dodgers' Opening Day bullpen. Of note, the recent minor league deals of Sergio Santos, David Aardsma and Erik Bedard seem more interesting with a newly open slot in the bullpen heading into Spring Training.
With pitchers and catchers reporting this week, the Dodgers have already stated that they were looking to add another arm to their bullpen. The loss of Jansen for the early part of the season will likely expedite this for General Manager Farhan Zaidi and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman. Looking at the remaining free agents, Rafael Soriano, Francisco Rodriguez, Joba Chamberlain and Phil Coke are the best names available.
For fantasy purposes, this isn't good for Jansen's draft stock. He is currently the third highest ranked closer behind Aroldis Chapman and Craig Kimbrel, and ranked 68th overall. However, there is no reason to think that once Jansen is back, he will not be back to his elite 2014 form of 44 saves and 101 K with a 2.76 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a 5.32 K/BB rate. His innings pitched quantity might be down, but his quality shouldn't follow suit.
