Ex-Red Sox Closer Explains Ongoing Mental Battle: ‘It’s Still Heavy’

Kenley Jansen has undergone a difficult mental battle since parting ways with the Boston Red Sox this past offseason.

The 37-year-old signed a one-year deal to join the Los Angeles Angels, but as Jansen acclimated himself with new teammates and coaches at spring training, tragedy struck his personal life. Jansen’s mother, Bernadette Jansen, passed away in March while the Angels had begun their spring training camp in Arizona.

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Jansen stepped away from the team briefly and shared an emotional message on Instagram, but he remains impacted in ways he’s never dealt with as a big leaguer.

“It’s still different. It’s still heavy,” Jansen told WEEI’s Rob Bradford on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast. “… She definitely will be missed, but I’m happy for her that she’s not suffering anymore. She was suffering a lot, but she was definitely the No. 1 fan that I lost. Every night that I pitched, she called me after the game, good or bad. I’m still trying to figure out now, every time I pitch, not having that phone call. It definitely hurts.”

Even though Jansen was occupied with making relief appearances for the Red Sox last season, the well-being of his mother was at the forefront of his priorities. Jansen rushed over to Curaçao as soon as he season ended to check on his mother, knowing that her health was declining and there wasn’t much time left.

Jansen pitched 54 2/3 innings and notched a 3.29 ERA with 27 saves before making an early departure from the team for good, to be alongside his mother. The Red Sox weren’t in the playoff hunt, so Jansen made the decision to put family ahead of baseball, even though it meant he wouldn’t be with the team for its final series of the season.

The scenery has changed for Jansen from the East to West coast, but the mental battle hasn’t detached itself from the future Hall of Famer. Jansen hasn’t stopped thinking about his mother and the bond they shared, but he’s maintaining a positive outlook while continuing to assume his closer responsibilities in Los Angeles.

“It’s not easy, in any kind of way,” Jansen shared. “This season hasn’t been easy mentally in any kind of way, but I’m happy for her that she’s not suffering anymore.”

Boston kicked off a three-game series with the Angels at Fenway Park on Monday night, which allowed Jansen to return for the first time since leaving. Los Angeles called upon Jansen in the ninth inning of the series opener to close out the Red Sox, and the two-time World Series champ shut the door to record his 12th save of the season.

“Great to be back here in Boston,” Jansen said. “It’s always fun. Loving these fans. Loving playing in this ballpark. It’s always a pleasure to be back here to play.”

Jansen has recorded a 4.91 ERA thus far, through 20 appearances logged with the Angels.