Kenley Jansen Fantasy Stats

Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said that he was going to use right-handed closer Kenley Jansen (groin) in Sunday's win over the Texas Rangers if the game had stayed close, according to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. It's a good sign that Jansen is healthy and back in the mix for saves after dealing with right-groin/abdomen tightness earlier last week. All signs point to Jansen being an option for the ninth inning for Monday's series opener against his former team, the Boston Red Sox. The 38-year-old veteran and four-time All-Star has six saves on the year in his first season with Detroit, but it hasn't exactly been pretty. Jansen goes into the new week with an 0-2 record, 6.14 ERA (7.65 FIP), and 1.64 WHIP with nine strikeouts and four walks in 7 1/3 innings pitched. He's been especially rough of late, allowing four runs on three hits (two homers) while walking one and striking out one in two-thirds of an inning in his last two outings. If Jansen continues to struggle or deal with physical issues, right-hander Kyle Finnegan is likely next in line for the Tigers for saves.

Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Kenley Jansen (groin) is considered day-to-day after picking up an injury during his most recent outing on Wednesday. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch confirmed on Saturday that Jansen is sidelined at the moment with right groin/abdomen soreness. It doesn't sound like something that will require a trip to the Injured List, but that'll depend on how he progresses. Kyle Finnegan picked up the save on Thursday. He's likely the favorite to get saves in Detroit with Will Vest (forearm) landing on the 15-day Injured List on Saturday. Fantasy managers who are looking for a source for saves should consider adding Finnegan while Jansen is out.

Detroit Tigers veteran closer Kenley Jansen blew his second save of the young season on Friday night on the road against the Cincinnati Reds, allowing two earned runs on two hits (one homer) while walking none and striking out one in two-thirds of an inning. The 38-year-old also took the loss when the Reds walked the Tigers off at Great American Ballpark. The nail in the coffin for Jansen was a walk-off homer off the bat of Nathaniel Lowe. Jansen has now blown two saves, but overall, he hasn't been terrible, allowing three earned runs on seven hits (two homers) while walking three and striking out nine in his 7 1/3 innings of work. The only times he's been scored up were in his two blown saves out of nine early-season appearances. With that said, Jansen isn't getting any younger, and the Tigers have two very capable late-inning, high-leverage arms in Kyle Finnegan and Will Vest that have both been successful in the closer's role before in their careers. Jansen might not be on the hot seat for the closer's role just yet, but any more slip-ups could make things interesting in the ninth in Motown.

Detroit Tigers closer Kenley Jansen picked up his sixth save of 2026 on Wednesday in his team's 5-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Jansen allowed two walks and a hit but worked around the traffic in a scoreless ninth inning. The 38-year-old is off to a strong start to his first season in Detroit, as he's worked to a 1.35 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with eight strikeouts and six saves across his first eight appearances (6 2/3 innings). Jansen may not be able to bring the same level of dominance he once did at his peak, but the veteran right-hander has proven that he is still capable of consistently recording high-leverage outs. As long as he can stay healthy, Jansen should continue to be a reliable source of saves for fantasy managers.

Detroit Tigers closer Kenley Jansen blew his second save opportunity of the season Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves, surrendering a three-run go-ahead home run after entering with two runners on base in the eighth inning. Jansen is now one for two in save chances this year. Despite the setback, he is not expected to lose trust from his manager after over a decade of dominance in the role. The 38-year-old is in his first season with Detroit and has allowed one run across 1 1/3 innings. He will look to rebound quickly and remain a steady presence at the back end of the bullpen.

Across 59 innings with the Los Angeles Angels in 2025, veteran relief pitcher Kenley Jansen recorded a 5-4 record with a 2.59 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 57 strikeouts, and 29 saves. The 38-year-old landed a one-year deal with the Detroit Tigers this past winter, and looks like the favorite to open the year as the team's primary closer. While Jansen's top-line numbers remained strong in 2025, his strikeout rate dipped to a career-worst 24.4%, and he benefited from an 85.2% strand rate, well above his career average of 79.9%. In Detroit, he lands with an organization that has typically preferred to spread saves around to multiple players. Should Jansen falter, the Tigers also have a quality ninth-inning option waiting in the wings in Will Vest, who recorded 23 saves last season. Jansen's proven track record as one of the best closers of the 21st century should give him the leg up to begin the year, but he may have a short leash if his shaky underlying metrics from 2025 start to show up in his overall results in 2026.

Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said on the Tiger Territory podcast that he sees relievers Kenley Jansen, Will Vest, and Kyle Finnegan all getting save opportunities in 2026, but he named Jansen as the favorite for most of the closing work since he is 24 saves from reaching the 500-save mark for his career. The 38-year-old veteran was signed to a one-year, $9 million deal in free agency after posting a 2.59 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 29 saves for the Los Angeles Angels in 2025. Hinch said he's not afraid to use any of his three high-leverage relief arms earlier in the game, if necessary, and he's also not opposed to changing up the save hierarchy at any point if it makes sense. Jansen's strikeout rate dropped to a career-low 24.4% last year, and although he was still effective, he has less room for error going forward and will most likely be on a short leash in Detroit. Jansen is ranked as the No. 15 fantasy closer at RotoBaller.

Free-agent right-handed reliever Kenley Jansen and the Detroit Tigers agreed on a one-year, $11 million deal on Saturday, pending a physical, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. Jansen is the second reliever that the Tigers have added this week after they re-signed right-hander Kyle Finnegan to a two-year deal during the winter meetings. Jansen's deal also includes a team option for 2027. Despite being 38 years old, Jansen could open next season as the favorite for saves in Detroit because of his experience (476 career saves). He didn't look his age at all in 2025 with the Los Angeles Angels, posting a 2.59 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 29 saves, 57 strikeouts, and 19 walks in 59 innings out of the bullpen. With that said, Jansen is clearly no longer in his prime, and he's going to have much more competition for saves next year in Finnegan and Will Vest.

Chris Cotillo of Mass Live reports that the Detroit Tigers continue to pursue free-agent right-handed reliever Kenley Jansen, even after they re-signed Kyle Finnegan. The reliever market has moved quickly this past week, and Jansen might be the next one to sign with a team. It's a bit curious that Detroit is still in the market to add the 38-year-old Jansen, though, since they already have both Finnegan and Will Vest to handle closing duties going into next season. If Detroit were to sign Jansen as well, it's unclear how they would structure the back end of their bullpen. Jansen had a solid season in 2025 with the Halos and was tied for eighth in the league with 29 saves. He is nowhere near the dominant closer he once was, but he still posted a very respectable 2.59 ERA and 0.95 WHIP while striking out 57 hitters in 59 innings. The future Hall of Famer's 476 career saves could make him the favorite for closing duties if he were to land in Motown.

The Detroit Tigers are interested in signing free-agent reliever Kenley Jansen, according to Ari Alexander. According to sources, the Los Angeles Angels have checked in on Jansen for a potential reunion. Right-hander Will Vest is currently the favorite for saves in Detroit as things currently stand, but the Tigers are also interested in bringing Kyle Finnegan back, so it seems likely that Vest will be in a co-closer situation for the start of 2026. The 38-year-old Jansen had a pretty solid season in his first season with the Angels in 2025, going 5-4 with a 2.59 ERA (3.98 FIP), 0.95 WHIP, 29 saves, 57 strikeouts, and 19 walks in 59 relief innings. Fantasy managers can't really expect Jansen to be much better than he was in 2025, though, after a 59.1% fly-ball rate and a career-low 24.4% strikeout rate. Jansen should still receive save chances somewhere in 2026, but it might be in more of a committee role, which is what he'd be in if he lands in Motown.