Braves Place Kenley Jansen on IL With Irregular Heartbeat

The 34-year-old reliever previously underwent corrective heart surgery in 2018.

The Braves have placed relief pitcher Kenley Jansen on the 15-day injured list with an irregular heartbeat, the team announced Tuesday.

Atlanta recalled right-hander Jesús Cruz to take Jansen’s place on the active roster. The move is retroactive to Monday, June 27.

The #Braves today recalled RHP Jesús Cruz to Atlanta and placed RHP Kenley Jansen on the 15-day injured list with an irregular heartbeat, backdated to June 27.

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 28, 2022

Jansen previously underwent corrective heart surgery in November 2018 after an irregular heartbeat led to him being admitted into a Denver-area hospital in August of that year. He had a similar procedure done during the 2012 offseason, when he underwent a catheter ablation in the left atrium of his heart to cauterize the damaged area and prevent it from generating abnormal electrical signals.

The 34-year-old last appeared on the mound for the Braves on Sunday against his former team, the Dodgers. He yielded two runs in the top of the ninth inning to blow a 2–0 Atlanta lead in what ultimately ended up as an 11-inning, 5–3 loss to Los Angeles.

Jansen, who signed a $16 million deal with the Braves in March after spending his first 12 MLB seasons with the Dodgers, is 4–0 with 20 saves in 2022. He has 3.58 ERA and 47 strikeout, with four blown save attempts.

After defeating the Astros 4–2 in the 2021 World Series, the Braves have gotten off to a somewhat tepid start this season. Atlanta is currently five games out of the NL East lead with a 42–32 record.

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