Kelenic’s Injury Creates Another Seattle Setback
Photo courtesy of Dean Rutz | Seattle Times
The Seattle Mariners are reeling.
After an exciting run to the ALDS in 2022, Seattle was picked as a dark horse team to contend for the World Series in 2023, having the eighth best odds to take home the Fall Classic according to Fox Sports.
However, the Mariners currently sit at a mediocre 48-48 record, good enough for 4th place in the AL West division, and sit 5.5 games out of a wild card spot.
To say the season has been disappointing is an understatement, as offseason acquisitions and returning stars have underperformed and regressed heavily.
Free agency signings Kolten Wong and AJ Pollock both have posted negative WAR, and stars Ty France and Eugenio Suárez have not replicated the success they saw in 2022.
In addition to these setbacks, Seattle’s bad luck got even worse in their 6-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins on July 19.
After a rough start to his major league career, former #4 overall prospect Jarred Kelenic had his breakout year.
Adjusting his swing mechanics and approach at the plate, Kelenic posted a slash line of .252/.320/.439 with a 113 OPS+, the best line of his young MLB career. That includes a moonshot at Wrigley Field, where Kelenic cleared the bleachers with a towering 482-foot shot to center-field.
Photo courtesy of Dean Rutz | Seattle Times
Combined with his above-average defense in the outfield, Kelenic has 2.0 WAR on the year, the fourth best on the Mariners, making him statistically one of the best players on the team in 2023.
Unfortunately for the Mariners, Kelenic’s breakout year has been halted by a sudden foot injury.
In Seattle’s loss to the Twins on July 19, Kelenic stepped up to the plate representing the tying run in the ninth inning to face off against Twins closer Jhoan Duran. After a lengthy at-bat that saw Kelenic fight through nine pitches, Duran struck him out with a filthy curveball.
In frustration, Kelenic headed back to the dugout and kicked a water cooler, fracturing and breaking bones in his left foot.
Kelenic was moved to the 10-day IL after the outfielder underwent x-rays that confirmed the injury, and has been seen in a walking boot.
A tearful Kelenic emotionally took accountability for his actions and the mistake, and showed strong character amidst an unfortunate accident.
The injury comes at an unfortunate time, as the reeling Mariners need offensive sparks that can compliment their strong pitching game in order to stay in the playoff hunt for a potential Wild Card bid.
Manager Scott Servais expressed his beliefs of the injury not requiring surgery, but noted that the timetable for Kelenic’s return is unknown.
For now, Seattle has called up outfielder Cade Marlowe to replace Kelenic’s spot with the hopes that the rookie can provide the same offensive spark that Kelenic’s breakout season brought to the offense.
With Marlowe’s inexperience at the major league level, Kelenic’s absence will certainly have a profound impact on Seattle’s second-half performances until he returns to the lineup.
