(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Seattle Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic was off to a blistering start to the season.
He was one of the league’s stars of the first few weeks of play.
However, he started cooling off and his numbers began to get progressively worse.
In July, the frustration got to the point that he kicked a water cooler in the dugout after a strikeout.
He ended up letting his teammates down: not because of his performance, but because he fractured his foot and missed several weeks of action.
He is healthy now, and judging by his performance in Triple-A Tacoma, he seems ready to return to the Mariners lineup.
Mariners executive Jerry Dipoto discussed the player’s current run of form and said he could be back any day now.
“Dipoto on Kelenic, ‘He appears to be raking. I don’t suspect it is going to be too much longer. Could be any day now. It’s also we’re 3000 miles away and I’m not sure it is the appropriate thing to do, send him cross country. Minimally, I think you will see him next week,’” Shannon Drayer tweeted.
Dipoto on Kelenic,
“He appears to be raking.”
“I don’t suspect it is going to be too much longer. Could be any day now. It’s also we’re 3000 miles away and I’m not sure it is the appropriate thing to do, send him cross country. Minimally, I think you will see him next week.”
— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) September 7, 2023
The Mariners will be playing in Tampa Bay for the weekend, against the Rays.
While it’s possible they call up Kelenic to play on the East Coast, it’s more likely we see him next week when the M’s return closer to home.
In seven games in Tacoma so far, the lefty-hitting outfielder is hitting .400/.500/.640 with three doubles, a home run, and a 1.140 OPS.
He also has scored seven runs.
For the season, he is slashing .252/.320/.439 with 24 doubles, 11 home runs, and a .759 OPS in 90 MLB games.
At the very least, he appears to have matured as a hitter and is much better than past MLB stints.
Now, he needs to show he can get back on track and make adjustments to return to his early-season form.
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