Why Kenley Jansen Won’t Be With Red Sox For Final Series Of 2024

BOSTON -- The Red Sox returned home to host the Tampa Bay Rays for their final three games of 2024 at Fenway Park on Friday night, but closer Kenley Jansen was nowhere to be found in the club's locker room.

Jansen's locker sat empty without his name tag attached, prompting questions surrounding the 36-year-old's non-appearance for the remaining 72 hours of the regular season. Boston placed Jansen on the 15-day injured list for its final six games of 2024, due to right-shoulder soreness, shutting him down for good and Red Sox manager Alex Cora explained where Jansen was hours before first pitch.

"He went home," Cora revealed pregame. "I talked to him this week. As soon as it was over, two days ago, he wasn't going to pitch. There's other stuff that we talked about, there's other stuff that's going on with him, so yeah."

It's possible that Jansen's Sept. 22 inning of relief against the Minnesota Twins was his final in a Red Sox uniform considering the future Hall of Famer will hit the open market this offseason -- along with fellow Boston impending free agents Tyler O'Neill and Nick Pivetta. Jansen made 54 appearances out of the bullpen in the final of his two-year contract with the Red Sox, recording a 4-2 record with 27 saves, a 3.29 ERA and 62 strikeouts. Jansen remained a vocal leader in Boston's clubhouse, spreading an optimistic demeanor determined to not squander a bid at postseason contention.

However, despite the team entering the Midsummer Classic break ahead of the Kansas City Royals with possession of the third and final American League wild-card spot, Boston collapsed. The Red Sox went 27-36 before officially missing out on the playoffs, logged a minus-33 run differential and notched an MLB-high 18 blown saves with a 4.02 starting pitching ERA and a 5.66 relief pitching ERA.

Sitting with a third consecutive swing-and-miss at playoff contention, the Red Sox, and Jansen who turns 37 in three days, both have a lot to consider this offseason.