Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen, Brewers’ Jonathan Lucroy Will Miss Spring Training with Injuries

Pitchers and catchers reported for baseball Spring Training this week and already two notable players went down with injuries before they even made it to camp.

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen will miss 2-3 months following surgery on February 17th to remove a bone growth on his left foot. Jansen, who had 44 saves for the Dodgers last year, had discomfort in his foot while doing some off season workouts at Dodger Stadium.

If there is one advantage to this happening now rather than in the middle or at the end of Spring Training is that the Dodgers will have time to evaluate the in house talent they have both in the major and minor league camps to see if a pitcher, or pitchers if they opt to go with closer by committee for the first month to six weeks of the regular season.

Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy will miss four to six weeks with a right hamstring injury. The Brewers say Lucroy should be ready to go by Opening Day on April 6th, but we’re not so sure. Hamstring injuries take a notoriously long time to fully heal and this injury actually dates back to late last season. Since it didn’t heal up over the winter, we’re not optimistic Lucroy will be ready to go in April. Martin Maldonado is the backup catcher, and while he is very good on defense, he doesn’t hit like Lucroy, who hit .301 with 18 homers, 82 RBIs, and 53 doubles in 2014.