Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts openly wishes closer Kenley Jansen had learned his lesson about pitching through injury a little sooner.
Jansen melted down in the 9th inning against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night. After getting an out on a comebacker that hit his right ankle, he gave up four straight hits and three runs, turning an 8-6 Dodger lead into a 9-8 loss. After the game, Jansen said his ankle had gone numb and he was unable to push off after getting struck and should have left the game.
Reacting on Wednesday, Roberts wasn’t exactly thrilled that his closer had waited to divulge this information after he’d blown the save and waved off trainers in the process.
Dave Roberts described hearing these Kenley Jansen comments last night as “a little bit tough to swallow.” He said they discussed them. Jansen is sore and unavailable tonight, but Roberts hopes to have him available tomorrow. https://t.co/0y2m167B4N
— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) July 17, 2019
It’s a fine lesson in pain management. Athletes want to play and push through injury, and some fans will call them soft if they don’t play. Not listening to one’s body, however, can lead to disasters like this.
