Is Kenley Jansen Going on Injured List? Angels Star Answers

Kenley Jansen revealed he injured his rib while working out in the gym on Sunday. He pitched through the pain on Tuesday but picked up his third loss of the season against the Cincinnati Reds after giving up two earned runs.

The Los Angeles Angels kept Jansen on the sidelines during Wednesday’s series finale. Jansen got a second day off on Thursday because the Halos did not have another game until Friday’s series opener against the Chicago Cubs.

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Before taking the day off on Wednesday, Jansen told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register that he was still “pretty sore”. Jansen said the Angels will reevaluate his health on Friday after the two-day break.

When asked if he was going to go on the injured list, Jansen said going to try his best to avoid that. He has not been on the IL all season.

“I’m gonna fight that,” Jansen said. “I’m gonna try to get as much treatment as I can and we’ll see how it goes.”

Jansen said the main issue the rib injury is causing him is he struggles to turn and get extension while pitching because it results in “tremendous pain”.

Right-handed reliever Luis García stepped in as the closer to secure the Angels’ 2-1 victory over the Reds. The Halos acquired García and reliever Andrew Chafin in exchange for first baseman Sam Brown and left-handed pitcher Jake Eder in a trade deadline deal with the Washington Nationals.

García earned his first save of the season after not allowing any hits or runs in the ninth inning. He has had one other save opportunity this season while pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers but failed to earn the save.

If the Angels have to put Jansen on the IL, it will be a major blow to their bullpen. He is a two-time NL Reliever of the Year and a World Series champion, who has been reliable for the Halos all season.

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Despite turning 38 at the end of September, Jansen is still going strong in his career. He has put together his best season since 2021, posting a 3.00 ERA and capitalizing on 23 of 24 save opportunities.

He will be a free agent at the end of the season and said he wants to play at least four more years. The Angels will have a tough time re-signing Jansen, as he was already garnering a lot of interest at the trade deadline.

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