Kenley Jansen loved ten straight years of playoff baseball earlier than signing a two-year, $32MM free agent contract with the Purple Sox in the course of the 2022-23 offseason, and barring a late surge from Boston within the final two weeks of play, Jansen is now on tempo for back-to-back with none postseason motion. As he heads into free company this winter, it subsequently isn’t shocking that Jansen is “all the time gonna search for profitable. Contending,” the nearer informed MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. “That’s going to be my precedence…I need to be in a scenario the place we are able to contend for a title. That’s it.” This doesn’t essentially imply Jansen wouldn’t take into account a return to the Sox, as Jansen praised the workforce’s younger expertise and stated he “had a blast carrying this uniform, enjoying for these followers.”
At the same time as he approaches his thirty seventh birthday, Jansen has no plans to retire, suggesting that he’d wish to pitch “a minimum of till I’m 40-42.” There isn’t a lot on-field proof that Jansen is working out of steam, as he stays an efficient late-game weapon with a 3.48 ERA in 51 2/3 innings and 26 saves in 30 probabilities for Boston in 2024. Jansen figures to get lots of consideration in free company this winter, and Cotillo means that the Yankees may have a look at Jansen as a possible substitute for Clay Holmes. The Purple Sox and Giants have been the one groups publicly linked to Jansen’s market in his prior stint as a free agent, however Cotillo writes that New York “made a critical run at Jansen earlier than he” joined the Purple Sox.
Extra from across the AL East….
Sticking with the Yankees, DJ LeMahieu mentioned his hip impingement with The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty, saying that he acquired a cortisone shot on Thursday to hopefully help the therapeutic course of. LeMahieu hasn’t performed since September 3 however he believes he’ll be capable of return to New York’s lineup earlier than the season is over. Whereas gamers typically have a extra optimistic view of their accidents, this does signify a extra optimistic outlook than supervisor Aaron Boone’s extra non-committal reply earlier this week, when the skipper stated “I wouldn’t essentially rule it [a LeMahieu return] out, however I wouldn’t depend on it, both.” In between this harm and the foot problem that price him the primary two months of motion, LeMahieu has struggled to a .204/.269/.259 slash line over 228 plate appearances this season. Even when he’s wholesome sufficient to play, LeMahieu’s lack of manufacturing may nicely price him a spot on New York’s playoff roster.
Jacob Webb’s activation from the Orioles’ injured checklist may occur in the course of the workforce’s present sequence with the Tigers, supervisor Brandon Hyde informed MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and different reporters. Earlier than a bout of elbow irritation despatched him to the 15-day IL on August 4, Webb was certainly one of Baltimore’s extra strong relievers, delivering a 3.08 ERA over 49 2/3 innings and 53 appearances out of the Orioles bullpen. Of the numerous gamers on the Orioles’ IL, Webb appears closest to returning, although Danny Coulombe is constant a minor league rehab task and may not be far off. Jordan Westburg has resumed baseball actions and is hitting in a batting cage as he works his manner again from a fractured hand.
Ryan Mountcastle continues to be within the early levels of a hitting development, however Hyde wasn’t positive if the Orioles first baseman will likely be again earlier than the common season is over. Mountcastle’s IL stint on account of a sprained left wrist started on August 23, and he has hit .265/.305/.425 with 13 dwelling runs in 485 PA. As Kubatko writes, the lack of Mountcastle’s regular manufacturing has been extra evident since first base substitute Ryan O’Hearn has been caught in an unpleasant hunch.
