Tigers place reliever Kenley Jansen on 15-day IL with pelvic inflammation

Before Thursday’s 7-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, the Detroit Tigers placed reliever Kenley Jansen on the 15-day injured list with pelvic inflammation.

Jansen, 38, left Wednesday’s game after getting two outs in the ninth inning. He walked Mike Trout on four straight pitches, missing the strike zone badly with each of them, and appeared to have difficulty landing after each throw. Jansen finished the game with nine pitches, four of them thrown for strikes.

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Starting pitcher Casey Mize also left Wednesday’s game after four innings and allowing only two hits. The Tigers announced that he was dealing with right groin tightness. However, Mize was not placed on the IL Thursday because the hope is that he’ll recover between turns in the starting rotation.

The bullpen is a more immediate concern, which is why Jansen went on the IL, according to manager A.J. Hinch.

“In the short-term, a bullpen move is the most obvious because of the availability of the 'pen,” Hinch said, via the Detroit News’ Chris McCosky. “We’re trying to have as full a team as we can.”

Mize had spent three weeks on the IL earlier this season with a right groin strain. He told reporters on Wednesday that this issue didn’t feel as serious as his previous injury.

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Jansen, a 17-year MLB veteran, is in his first season with the Tigers after signing a one-year contract. In 18 appearances, he has a 4.80 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 15 innings, in addition to seven saves for a Detroit team that has won far fewer games than expected this season. He has been day-to-day with right groin soreness since the beginning of May, according to The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen.

To take Jansen’s place on the roster, Detroit called up reliever Drew Sommers from Triple-A Toledo. He compiled a 3.00 ERA with 35 strikeouts and 11 walks in 21 innings.

Following Thursday’s defeat, their second loss to the Angels in three games, the Tigers are tied for the worst record in the American League at 22-35. Only the Colorado Rockies (20-37) are worse than the Tigers and Angels. Detroit is 10.5 games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central.