All-Star Closer Has Rough Spring Debut

Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen was rudely greeted in his Grapefruit League debut on Friday night against the Minnesota Twins.

Alex Kirilloff belted Jansen’s second pitch of the night over the replica Green Monster at JetBlue Park in Fort Meyers, Fla., and then Christian Vázquez blasted a two-out, solo shot to center later in the inning.

Jansen, whose spring training start was delayed by a lat strain, entered the game in the sixth inning and wasn’t too upset with how his first outing went.

“Listen, can’t go off results. It is what it is,” said Jansen. “It’s my first outing, and we’ll sharpen things up as we go.”

Jansen’s goal this spring is to make sure his cutter is in mid-season form and he has four more outings to do that. According to Ian Browne of MLB.com, Jansen has been steadfast in his belief that five Spring Training games are all he needs to be ready to take the ball confidently for the Red Sox in the ninth inning on March 28 in Seattle.

Both homers were off of cutters that missed their spot.

“My cutter is a feel pitch, so I want to get it consistent so it’s clicking at the end of spring and untouchable,” Jansen said. “Right now, it’s not there yet, so I’ve just got to keep throwing it.”

Jansen admitted to reporters that his arm strength is still being built up but “it’s getting better,” and he is going to catch up.

“That’s not bad for the first one. I’m not that far off. Just keep building up a little bit more,” Jansen said. “I’m glad I’m out there and pitching pain-free.”

Jansen, 36, has 420 career saves and signed a two-year, $36 million contract with the Red Sox prior to the 2023 season. He made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2011 and stayed with the club until after the 2022 season when he became a free agent and signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves.

He was a topic in trade discussions this offseason and was told the organization has a different vision for the future. Add in his injury and Jansen has been in unfamiliar territory this spring. He addressed his challenging status on WEEI’s Baseball Isn’t Boring Live.

“To be honest with you, I will wear this uniform proudly and I will carry this uniform high,” Jansen said. “But understanding too they have a different vision, one that is kind of for a rebuild to have a better team to compete to win titles. We’ll see. This is my first time experiencing this. It is really weird for me. All I did was win. I was in the playoffs for 10 years in a row. It’s different, I can say, now, going through this. I’m just focused on myself and getting myself ready and trying to block distractions. I have to block distractions. I have to block it out and be ready for the season.”