Dodgers: Why Mookie Betts, others have incentive to skip 50 game season

Dodgers with incentive to skip 2020 season: 3) Kenley Jansen

While there is no indication Kenley Jansen has concern with playing the 2020 season, he might represent the team’s biggest health risk, perhaps other than pitcher Scott Alexander, who has Type 1 diabetes.

Jansen has a history of heart problems, which is one of the preconditions listed on the CDC website as putting people at higher risk of severe illness from the novel coronavirus.

In a recent Los Angeles Times article, both Jansen’s agent and manager Dave Roberts indicated they are not concerned with Jansen being at greater risk.

"“From everything I’ve heard, Kenley is not at any higher risk than anyone else,” Roberts said. “He’s a caged lion right now. He can’t get going soon enough.”"

However, as we learn new things about Covid-19, the disease resulting from the novel coronavirus, it’s impossible to know for sure who is completely safe and who is potentially at higher risk.

Jansen is near the end of a five-year, $80 million contract. He is still signed through 2021. While he completed a heart procedure in 2018 that was supposed to fix his heart issues, it’s possible he decides it’s not worth putting himself at danger again by returning to play over a shortened season. He will definitely need to listen closely to his doctors given his pre-existing condition.