Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen hopes to avoid IL stint after suffering hamstring injury
BOSTON -- Kenley Jansen had to leave Wednesday night's Red Sox win in Houston after throwing just three pitches. The Boston closer is hoping his hamstring injury doesn't lead to a stint on the IL at the most important juncture of the season.
Jansen was in obvious discomfort after recording his only out against the Astros on Wednesday. He's glad that he left the eventual 7-5 extra-innings win and said that he felt better on Thursday. He hopes that with some rest, the issue will work itself out and he can avoid landing on the Injured List.
"Definitely. I'm going to try to avoid that," Jansen told Christoper Smith of MassLive. "We're in the most crucial parts [of the season], so I want to be out there. At the same time, I don't want to hurt my team also.
"They don't think that it's a big deal. Hopefully it can be take a few days (off) and try it again," he added.
The Red Sox can't afford to lose Jansen at the moment as the team tries to make a push for an AL Wild-Card spot. In his first season in Boston, the closer is 29-for-32 in his save opportunities, sporting a 2.81 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP over his 46 appearances. He was Boston's lone All-Star this season.
Jansen has solidified the back end of a sold Boston bullpen, with the team touting an MLB-best 52-3 record when leading after six innings. Manager Alex Cora expressed was optimistic that the Red Sox may get their All-Star closer back as soon as Friday, when the team opens a three-game set against the Dodgers at Fenway Park.
