Kenley Jansen To Return This Month, Might Have Offseason Surgery

The Dodgers got what manager Don Mattingly called "middle news" on Kenley Jansen today, neither good nor bad. The reliever will likely have surgery after the season to correct his irregular heartbeat, but also plans to pitch again for the Dodgers this month.

Jansen met with doctors at White Memorial Hospital on Tuesday and as a precaution will be out another 10 days to make sure the blood thinners are fully out of his system. He will meet with doctors again after that, then if cleared will be ready to pitch beginning with the series against the Washington Nationals on Sep. 18.

After the season, Jansen is considering having a cardiac ablation surgery, a procedure that scars or destroys tissue that causes abnormal heart rhythms. It isn't open heart surgery, and would be done using catheters so it isn't as invasive. The exact recovery time is unknown but Jansen is expected to be ready for spring training next season.

Notes

• Chad Billingsley will have a second injection of platelet-rich plasma into his right elbow on Wednesday, and Mattingly said the right-hander would likely not pitch again this season. "It's hard to think we're going to get Billingsley back for anything major at all," Mattingly said.
  
  But what about Billingsley coming back and pitching in relief? "It seems like it's going down the tubes," Mattingly said.
  
• Javy Guerra was placed on the disabled list with a strained left oblique muscle on Tuesday. The right-hander felt something in his side while warming up on Sunday before pitching a scoreless inning against the Diamondbacks. Mattingly said he was planning to use Guerra for a second inning but changed plans when the reliever told him he was hurting.
• Josh Wall was recalled from Triple A Albuquerque, five days after getting optioned.
• Randy Choate is okay to pitch one day after taking a ground ball off the thumb.
• Ted Lilly will throw a simulated game on Wednesday, and Mattingly said there was still time for Lilly to come back and contribute in the bullpen, giving the team another left-handed reliever.
• Juan Rivera was taking ground balls at third base during infield practice, and I asked Mattingly what Rivera was doing at third. "I asked him the same question the other day," Mattingly said, adding that he has no plans to use Rivera at third base. For what it's worth, Rivera has never played third base in the major leagues, but he did play one inning at second base in 2008 while with the Angels.
  
• The Padres on Tuesday recalled pitcher Brad Boxberger and infielder Andy Parrino from Triple A Tucson, have promoted catcher Ali Solis from Double A San Antonio, and activated pitcher Anthony Bass from the 60-day disabled list.
  

Starting Lineups

Game Time: 7:10 p.m.

TV: KCAL

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