The Los Angeles Dodgers’ lackluster bullpen seems like the only component of that team that is not performing at an elite level right now, and Kenley Jansen thinks it is valid to point that out.
The All-Star closer earned the save in Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Arizona, but he made it interesting by allowing the tying run to reach scoring position before getting the final out. Afterwards, he addressed the criticism of their bullpen.
“Listen, it’s fair,” said Jansen, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. “When every part of the team is going great and one part is not clicking yet, it’s fair to kind of criticize it. But I take it as a positive — it’s going to keep me pushing to get better.”
Though the Dodgers are an MLB-best 55-26, that is owed mostly to their smoldering offense and their lights-out starting pitching. The bullpen sports a subpar 4.22 ERA on the year, and 15 of their 26 losses have gone to a reliever. Jansen himself is posting the highest ERA of his career this season at 3.21.
The Dodgers are thinking outside the box for ways to upgrade their bullpen, and it sounds like Jansen understands why they have to.
