The Boston Red Sox have seen their bullpen have some struggles recently with Chris Martin and Justin Slaten, two of their best, on injured reserve.
This has led to more high-leverage opportunities for guys like Greg Weissert, who's given up nine runs (seven earned) in his last six innings of work.
Now, heading into a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies, Boston will be ever more short-handed, as they'll be without closer Kenley Jansen.
Jansen has dealt with atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) for over a decade now and has had multiple procedures for the condition. The altitude at Coors Field has been an issue, causing him to have his heart shocked after three separate trips to Colorado.
“Too many times, stuff happened over there with me,” Jansen said (via. MassLive). “2022 was the last time I went there. It started off when I went back to Atlanta. I started having issues and then a couple weeks later, I went back to a-fib. Just try to avoid that right now.
“We’re trying to get to the postseason. I don’t think that’s a great time, to go there and mess things up. The next thing you know, it’s going to hurt the team more. I’d rather skip that one and be ready for the Yankees series.”
Boston won't be able to fill his spot on the roster for the three games, so instead, they'll just be a man down.
Jansen has posted a 3.06 ERA and a 1.189 WHIP while striking out 40 in his 35 1/3 innings pitched in 2024.
