DENVER (AP) — Kenley Jansen spent the day in the doctor’s office getting checked out for an irregular heartbeat.
The conclusion: Nothing definitive yet.
The Los Angeles Dodgers closer was placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday and manager Dave Roberts wasn’t sure if his absence would be 10 days or possibly even closer to a month — like it was when the right-hander landed on the DL for the same thing seven years ago.
“I’m hoping as soon as I can to get something, just for my peace of mind, the guys on the field — our peace of mind,” Roberts said. “His health is most important. Whatever they have to do, the doctors have to do, to protect him.
“I know there are things out there as far as a timeline. I haven’t heard definitive as far as any time.”
Jansen was at the hotel before the game Thursday against the Colorado Rockies and didn’t feel right. He was taken to a Denver hospital for tests and then sent back to Los Angeles for more evaluation.
When Jansen dealt with an irregular heartbeat in 2011, he was sidelined about a month due to his blood thinning medication. Roberts wasn’t sure if Jansen would need the medication again.
“If he does, that’s a four-to-six week thing,” Roberts said. “I’m not sure what the protocol is right now.”
In 2012, Jansen was out again after suffering an irregular heartbeat during an Aug. 27 appearance in Colorado. He underwent a procedure on his heart on Oct. 23, 2012, to return it to normal rhythm.
The 30-year-old Jansen is tied for the NL lead with 32 saves. In his absence, Roberts will use a closer-by-committee approach. Scott Alexander finished out the ninth in an 8-5 win over the Rockies on Thursday.
“If I look at Scott right now, and look at our pen, he’s our highest-leverage reliever,” Roberts said. “At what part of the game is that most impactful to deploy him? That’s kind of how I’ll approach it. After that, to get the last three outs of the game, figure out who matches up best.”
Roberts said all eight of his relievers are available to close on any given night.
“That’s my story and I’m sticking to it,” Roberts said.
To take Jansen’s place on the roster, the Dodgers recalled switch-handed pitcher Pat Venditte from Triple-A Oklahoma City. The 33-year-old Venditte has allowed four runs over 4 1/3 innings in five appearances.
