Jul 4, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Seattle Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic (10) walks to the dugout after striking out against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports
MLB: Seattle Mariners at San Francisco Giants
(New York, NY) – It’s been a challenging week for the Seattle Mariners.
First, controversy ensued and the team’s players became enraged – after the Mariners were spotted selling Blue Jays’ jersey featuring Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s last name at the official team store.
Now, it’s a player’s rage of a different kind that has the team and its fans smarting. Young outfielder Jarred Kelenic, who’s easily having his best season as a pro, kicked a watercolor in anger on Wednesday night. He suffered a fracture in his left foot as a result. The team placed him on the 10-day IL Thursday.
Reporters who follow the team will tell you the 24-year-old Kelenic has been much better at keeping his emotions in check this year.
And his .252 batting average with 11 home runs, 45 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases has been a key component of the Mariner’s batting lineup. Now, they’ll have to try and stay in the AL wild card race without him for at least the next week-plus.
Mariners’ manager Scott Servais says Kelenic is upset and feels like he let the team down. But he won’t need surgery it seems. Sevais told Mariners insider Shannon Drayer that, “Nobody feels worse about this than Jarred does. Players get frustrated but you’ve got to be able to control your emotions that’s a part of being a professional. He’s upset. He knows he let a lot of people down.”
Fighting back tears, Kelenic told Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times:
“I let the emotions get the best of me there. I just, I feel terrible. Especially for the guys. I let the emotions get the best of me and I just let them down. I take full responsibility for it. It’s on me. It just can’t happen.”
The team called up 26-year-old Cade Marlowe to take Kelenic’s roster spot.
