Angels' Kenley Jansen Reveals Injury, Says It Occurred in Gym

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After giving up two earned runs in the ninth inning to the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday, closer Kenley Jansen picked up his first loss since May 13 against the San Diego Padres.

It was just the two-time National League Reliever of the Year’s third loss of the season. Jansen told reporters he was dealing with an injury during the game, but declined to say what it was.

Jansen gave more details on the injury the following day on Wednesday. He told reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register) that the injury involves his ribs, and it happened while working out in the gym on Sunday.

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Jansen was not available for the Angels’ series finale against the Reds on Wednesday, a 2-1 win. The Angels do not have a game on Thursday, which will give Jansen another day to rest before their home series against the Chicago Cubs this weekend.

Fletcher reported that the Angels will evaluate how Jansen is feeling after his two-day break to determine when he will return to the mound.

Kenley Jansen said today the injury is with his ribs. It happened during his workout in the gym on Sunday. He is not available today. Tomorrow is an off day and they’ll see how he is after that.

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) August 20, 2025

The injury did not force Jansen to exit Tuesday's game early and is expected to be minor. But if the Angels were to place Jansen on the injured list, he would join Robert Stephenson, Hunter Strickland and Ben Joyce on the shelf.

Jansen has been the Halos’ primary closer all season long, recording 51 appearances in 2025. He signed a one-year deal with the Angels over the offseason and will become a free agent again after this season.

The four-time All-Star is a reliable closer and offers veteran experience to the next team that signs him, unless he remains in Anaheim. He won a World Series championship with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020 and has 16 seasons of MLB experience.

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Jansen said he hopes to play at least four more seasons after 2025 and will be putting in extra work over the offseason to reach that goal. Jansen was dealing with his parents' health issues and his mother's death last offseason, which limited his ability to train.

Several teams could benefit from a dominant and experienced closer like Jansen. Therefore, the right-hander should draw a lot of interest as a free agent at the end of the season.

For more Angels news, head over to Angels on SI.