Jarred Kelenic, the young Seattle Mariners outfielder, has had a rough time in MLB as a whole.
He has been a beast in Triple-A for two straight seasons, yet still doesn’t seem like he has fully figured out MLB pitching.
As a result of his performance to this point, but mainly because he is a lefty, he is not getting the start in Thursday afternoon’s game against southpaw Framber Valdez and the Houston Astros.
“News: Dylan Moore starts in left field for the @Mariners in Game 2, giving them another right-handed bat against Houston LHP Framber Valdez. Jarred Kelenic begins the day on the bench,” MLB insider Jon Morosi tweeted.
News: Dylan Moore starts in left field for the @Mariners in Game 2, giving them another right-handed bat against Houston LHP Framber Valdez. Jarred Kelenic begins the day on the bench. @MLBNetwork @SeattleSports
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) October 13, 2022
Like most left-handed hitters, Kelenic is better against right-handed pitchers, so manager Scott Servais is trying to get the best out of his lineup on Thursday as he tries to tie the American League Division Series at one win apiece.
An Inconsistent Career So Far In MLB
During his brief time in MLB this season, Kelenic has hit a disappointing .141/.221/.313 with a .534 OPS in 181 plate appearances.
He has been a bit better since returning to the majors in the second half after a long stint in the minor leagues, with a .713 OPS, but he is still far from the asset we all thought he could be.
Still, with Jesse Winker on the injured list, the Mariners don’t have much of a choice but to send him out there.
He was bad in the series against the Toronto Blue Jays, as he went hitless in six plate appearances.
He did go 2-for-4 in Game 1 of the ALDS against Houston, though.
There is still time for Kelenic to put together a nice career, but he needs to start showing some consistency soon.
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