The Detroit Tigers have been navigating some bullpen turbulence, but their veteran closer, Kenley Jansen, has managed to avoid a trip to the injured list. The 38-year-old right-hander has been sidelined for the past two games due to a nagging right groin/lower abdomen issue, leaving the team's relief corps in a bit of a bind.

"Thankfully, we're going to get him back," manager A.J. Hinch said Saturday, May 2, ahead of the Tigers' second game against the Texas Rangers at Comerica Park. "It's been an uneasy last few days in the bullpen."

Jansen's absence has been compounded by another blow: the Tigers placed right-handed reliever Will Vest on the 15-day injured list with right lateral forearm inflammation, requiring further medical evaluation. With both Jansen and Vest unavailable, the Tigers are leaning heavily on right-hander Kyle Finnegan as their primary high-leverage option.

Fortunately, the team expects Jansen to remain day-to-day rather than land on the IL. "He is still working his way through," Hinch explained. "He is day-to-day, which means I'm going to check with him daily and see what he's feeling. We're comfortable with the diagnosis, the treatment, and he's bouncing back a little bit better, but he's been unavailable. I think he's in a better place today than he was yesterday. We'll see how that factors into whether I can use him tonight."

Jansen, a 17-year MLB veteran approaching 500 saves in his Hall of Fame-caliber career, has had a rocky start to the 2026 season. Through 10 games and 7⅓ innings, he owns a 6.14 ERA with four walks and nine strikeouts, but he's still converted six of nine save opportunities. The Tigers signed him to a one-year, $9 million contract for this season, which includes a $12 million club option (with a $2 million buyout) for 2027.

For now, the Tigers are taking a cautious approach, hoping Jansen can avoid the IL and return to anchor the bullpen. "We're obviously comfortable enough to leave him off the injured list," Hinch said.