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Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen had heart surgery on Tuesday in Los Angeles to address an irregular heartbeat that has landed him on the disabled list in each of the last two seasons, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. The right hander will be out of action for three months, while on blood thinning medication.
The Dodgers said during the nearly three-hour procedure that "the abnormal tissue in his heart was identified and then cauterized to stop the abnormal electrical signals sent from this area." Jansen's heart has returned to normal rhythm.
Jansen will remain hospitalized overnight, and can return to physical activity in 7-10 days without restriction.
Jansen first hit the disabled list with heart issues in late-July 2011 and missed a month of action. In August of 2012, the closer was shelved with a similar issue and did not return until Sept. 20.
Jansen emerged as a dominant force in his first season as the Dodgers closer in 2012, going 5-3 with a 2.35 ERA while striking out 99 batters in 65 innings. The former catcher has dominated hitters since his conversion to pitching with an explosive 93-95 mph fastball that he is able to ramp up to 97-98 mph with regularity. In 2011, Jansen posted a 16.1 K/9 which was the highest strikeout rate in baseball history among pitchers with at least 40 innings pitched in a season.