Subscribe
Follow Us
The Atlanta Braves are breathing a sigh of relief. The team is getting closer to having outfielder Jarred Kelenic back on the field, per MLB.com. Kelenic has been out after jamming his wrist during a game.
Kelenic could return to the lineup as soon as Saturday, per MLB.com. The outfielder was available on the bench for the team on Friday, during a game with the Washington Nationals. Atlanta lost that game, 2-1, but Kelenic was working in the batting cage.
Kelenic's role with the Braves this season
Kelenic is hitting .264 on the season for Atlanta, with three home runs. This is his first season with the Braves, after spending several years out west with the Seattle Mariners. Kelenic is hitting the ball better so far this year than he was in Seattle the last few seasons.
Kelenic recorded two at-bats on June 5, in a game against the Boston Red Sox. But he went out of that game after jamming his wrist while going for a catch in the outfield. After making the spectacular diving catch, the outfielder rolled around in what seemed immense pain. He received some treatment and left the game. Braves fans must be happy that his injury wasn't more serious.
The Braves are already a man down in the outfield, as Ronald Acuña Jr. is out for the season with an ACL tear. That in itself was a huge loss for the team, as Acuña was one of the club's best hitters. Atlanta is 35-26 on the season, and Kelenic will be leaned on to pick up some of that slack on offense. He had a six-game hitting streak before getting hurt on June 5.
Atlanta's run scoring this season
Atlanta needs offense. The Braves are languishing in the middle of the pack in Major League Baseball, in several offensive categories. The team is 18th in runs scored and 17th in home runs this season, per The Score. The Braves are clearly struggling without Acuña, but fortunately the team is still staying above .500.
“These are all really good baseball players,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said, per The Score. “They've all hit, and they will again.”
In his career, Kelenic is a .213 hitter. He has 1,016 total at-bats in 300 career games played. The outfielder has 216 career hits and 121 runs batted in. Kelenic is not considered a power hitter, but he can get on base consistently. He has been hitting much better since the 2022 campaign, when he finished the year with just a .141 batting average for Seattle. He finished the 2023 campaign with a .253 batting average, which turned out to be his final year for the Mariners.
The Braves take on the Nationals again Saturday at 4:05 Eastern. Atlanta fans are surely hopeful to see Kelenic back in the lineup for the team. The Braves are 1-2 since Kelenic got hurt.
