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Los Angeles Angels' newly signed veteran pitcher Kenley Jansen recorded his first save for the Halos during the 1-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. The 37-year-old recorded two strikeouts in the ninth inning to level the series for L.A. and opened up about his return to the city after three years.
Kenley Jansen was signed as an undrafted free agent catcher by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004 and made the switch to a pitcher in 2009. The next year, he made his major league debut with the Dodgers and spent over a decade as a part of their bullpen, winning the 2020 World Series. During that period, Jansen led the NL in saves twice and was named the NL reliever of the year on two occassions.
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Jansen signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels in February and is now focused on return them o winning ways. Speaking to a reporter after his MLB debut for the Angels, the closer said (via MLB Network):
"I feel great to be here, I feel great to be home back in Southern California. Man, I feel great to get this one. It's time for us to work and bring that winning culture back to the Angels. So, I'm glad to be here and I'm looking forward to getting more saves."
Jansen went on to record his second save for LA the next day, helping the Halos win the series against the White Sox. While he gets closer to his 500th career save, he's more focused on winning:
"It means a lot. Every save counts. To get to 500 saves is something incredible but at the same time I'm just working here to help this team getting back on the winning track."
Kenley Jansen is on 449 career saves in the MLB and will hope to reach 500 before hanging up his gloves. More importantly, he's focused on helping the Angels reach the playoffs this year.
MLB analyst praises Kenley Janson's longevity after his move to the Angels
Los Angeles Angels closer Kenley Jansen is fourth in MLB's all-time saves list. After his return to LA, analyst Cliff Floyd lauded his longevity, saying (via MLB Tonight):
"Going out there and actually tweaking some things at times. ... Look where he's at now."
Jansen needs 30 more saves to move up to third spot in the all-time leaders list and is firmly on track to reach the milestone. If he remains healthy throughout the season, he could make a strong argument to be inducted into the Hall of Fame after his eventual retirement.
