Dodgers' Jansen to miss 8-12 weeks following foot surgery

The Los Angeles Dodgers will open the 2015 campaign without their closer.

Kenley Jansen, who logged a career-high 44 saves last season, is expected to miss 8-12 weeks after undergoing surgery Tuesday to remove a growth from a bone in his left foot, the team announced.

Jansen first experienced discomfort in his foot while running last week, prompting a battery of tests that revealed an issue with the fifth metatarsal of his left foot. After undergoing a procedure Tuesday to rectify the problem, the 27-year-old will be on crutches for roughly 10 days and will subsequently be consigned to a walking boot for three-to-four weeks.

Jansen will thus be forced to open the season on the disabled list, a development that provides some insight into why Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reported Monday that the Dodgers continue to look for help in the bullpen. 

It remains unclear at this point, however, who will receive the opportunity to close in Jansen's absence. Brandon League has the most ninth-inning experience among those expected to land a job in the Dodgers' bullpen this season, though his peripherals weren't overwhelmingly impressive in 2014 and the club could opt to give newcomers Joel Peralta or Chris Hatcher the first opportunity to close.