Latest news with #Kelenic
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Braves option Jarred Kelenic to minor leagues, bring back Eddie Rosario
The Atlanta Braves optioned outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday and signed free-agent Eddie Rosario to fill his spot on the active roster. Kelenic was recently the subject of controversy after not running hard on a fly ball he believed was a home run in an April 19 game. The ball hit off the top of the right-field wall, and Kelenic was thrown out at second base when he likely would've been easily safe. Braves manager Brian Snitker did not pull Kelenic from the game for his effort, which got the attention of 2023 National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr., who posted on social media, "If it were me, they would take me out of the game." Acuña's post was later deleted. Yet plenty of people saw it, and it was brought to Snitker's attention for the implications of a double standard in how he handled similar situations with Acuña, particularly benching the star outfielder in 2019 for not running out what he believed was a home run and settling for a single. However, Kelenic has struggled this season, batting .167 with a .531 OPS, two home runs and two doubles in 65 plate appearances. That continued his subpar performance from 2024, during which he hit .231 with a .679 OPS, 15 homers and 45 RBI. Kelenic was once considered one of MLB's top prospects after the New York Mets made him their first-round pick in 2018 (No. 6 overall). Dealt to the Seattle Mariners as part of the Robinson Cano trade, he failed to fulfill expectations in three seasons, compiling a .204 batting average and .656 OPS with 32 home runs and 109 RBI. Kelenic was traded to the Braves before the 2024 season. Bringing Rosario back should be a popular move with Braves fans, considering his three seasons during which he won NLCS MVP on Atlanta's run to the 2021 World Series championship. During his career with the Braves, Rosario batted .236 with a .699 OPS, 36 homers and 123 RBI. In the 2021 NLCS versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, Rosario hit .560 (14-for-25) with three homers and nine RBI in the six-game series. Rosario signed with the Dodgers and began the season in Triple-A before being called up when Shohei Ohtani went on the paternity list. He was designated for assignment when Ohtani returned and opted for free agency rather than returning to the minors. With Oklahoma City, Rosario batted .339 with a .948 OPS in 69 plate appearances. In two games with the Dodgers, he went 1-for-4 as a designated hitter. With the emergence of Eli White (.273 average, .897 OPS) and strong performance from Alex Verdugo (.331 average, .841 OPS), Rosario is expected to be a bench player for the Braves and will likely be released again when Acuña is activated from the injured list after recovering from his torn ACL.
Fox News
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Jarred Kelencic, Braves player at center of double standard call-out by Ronald Acuña Jr, sent down to Triple-A
The Atlanta Braves have optioned outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Triple-A, about one week after being the center of controversy in the clubhouse. Ronald Acuña Jr., the Braves star outfielder, took exception to manager Brian Snitker's answer to a reporter after the skipper didn't reprimand Kelenic for a lack of hustle during the team's April 19 game. Kelenic smashed a baseball to right field, and he was walking out of the batter's box like it was going to be a home run. But, when it hit the top of the wall and stayed inside the ballpark, he tried turning what should've been a single into a double. Kelenic was thrown out at second base, where he likely would've had a stand-up double if he hadn't jogged out of the box. After the game, Snitker didn't understand the reporter's question about disciplining Kelenic, which led Acuña to voice his opinion on X. "If it were me, they would take me out of the game," he wrote. Acuña later deleted the post, but many people saw it and brought it up to Snitker. To Acuña's double standard post, he does have history on his side. In 2019, Snitker benched him for mishaps on the bases, when he did the same thing as Kelenic. Acuña, though, decided to stay at first base after realizing the ball didn't go out as he had hoped. "He didn't run," Snitker said at the time, via ESPN. "You've got to run. It's not going to be acceptable here." Now, Kelenic's demotion to Triple-A Gwinnett isn't directly correlated with his lack of hustle, but rather his lack of production to start the 2025 season. He is hitting just .167 with a .531 OPS in 65 plate appearances thus far. Once one of MLB's top prospects with the New York Mets, Kelenic hasn't had the best time in the bigs, which began with the Seattle Mariners as part of the trade for Mets closer Edwin Diaz and former Met Robinson Cano. He hit just .204 with 32 homers and 109 RBI in three seasons with Seattle before being traded to Atlanta before the 2024 season. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Braves option Jarred Kelenic to minor leagues, bring back Eddie Rosario
The Atlanta Braves optioned outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday and signed free agent Eddie Rosario to fill his spot on the active roster. Kelenic was recently the subject of controversy after not running hard on a fly ball he believed was a home run in an April 19 game. The ball hit off the top of the right-field wall and Kelenic was thrown out at second base when he likely would have been easily safe. Advertisement Braves manager Brian Snitker did not pull Kelenic from the game for his effort, which got the attention of 2023 National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr., who posted on social media, "If it were me, they would take me out of the game." Acuña's post was later deleted. Yet plenty of people saw it and it was brought to Snitker's attention for the implications of a double standard in how he handled similar situations with Acuña, particularly benching the star outfielder in 2019 for not running out what he believed was a home run and settling for a single. However, Kelenic has struggled this season, batting .167 with a .531 OPS, two home runs and two doubles in 65 plate appearances. That continued his subpar performance from 2024, during which he hit .231 with a .679 OPS, 15 homers and 45 RBI. Advertisement Kelenic was once considered one of MLB's top prospects after the New York Mets made him their first-round pick in 2018 (No. 6 overall). Dealt to the Seattle Mariners as part of the Robinson Cano trade, he failed to fulfill expectations in three seasons, compiling a .204 batting average and .656 OPS with 32 home runs and 109 RBI. Kelenic was traded to the Braves before the 2024 season. Bringing back Rosario should be a popular move with Braves fans, remembering his three seasons during which he won NLCS MVP on Atlanta's run to a World Series championship in 2021. During his career with the Braves, he batted .236 with a 699 OPS, 36 homers and 123 RBI. In the 2021 NLCS versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, Rosario hit .560 (14-for-25) with three homers and nine RBI in the six-game series. Rosario signed with the Dodgers and began the season in Triple-A before being called up when Shohei Ohtani went on the paternity list. But he was designated for assignments when Ohtani returned and opted for free agency rather than returning to the minors. Advertisement With Oklahoma City, Rosario batted .339 with a .948 OPS in 69 plate appearances. In two games with the Dodgers, Rosario went 1-for-4 as a designated hitter. With the emergence of Eli White (.273 average, .897 OPS) and strong performance from Alex Verdugo (.331 average, .841 OPS), Rosario is expected to be a bench player for the Braves and will likely be let go again when Acuña is activated from the injured list after recovering from his torn ACL.
Forbes
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Jarred Kelenic, Brian Snitker, Ronald Acuña Jr. And The Braves Dumpster Fire
Jarred Kelenic clearly thought he had hit a home run. He was wrong! (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty ... More Images) When it rains, it pours. Unfortunately, sometimes the rain is kerosene, and it pours right onto an existing dumpster fire. The Atlanta Braves started the season 0-7. It took until their 20th game for them to win two in a row (pushing their record to 7-13). They are currently 11-14, in last place in the National League East, and 6.5 games out of first. The Braves' best pitcher, Spencer Strider, came back from major elbow surgery to pitch one game before straining his hamstring. Their former MVP, Ronald Acuña Jr., has not yet returned from ACL surgery. And pitcher Reynaldo López is currently in the IL for at least the next twelve weeks with an undisclosed shoulder injury. After an injury-marred 2024 season, the Braves could not have gotten off to a worse start. And then, last Saturday night, outfielder Jarred Kelenic decided to throw some additional fuel on the dumpster fire. It's been a full week, but even with the passage of time, this dustup doesn't look any better – for anyone involved. In the sixth inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins, Kelenic hit a long drive to right field. Off the bat, Kelenic thought he got it all, and stopped to admire his shot (see above). Unfortunately for him, the ball bounded off the top of the wall. Kelenic ultimately got into gear, trying to get at least a double, but he was thrown out at second base. The Braves had already tied the game when Michael Harris II led off the inning with a homer. Nick Allen followed Harris with a single to right. Kelenic then had his fateful at-bat. Allen moved up to third on Kelenic's long single, and scored when the next batter, Alex Verdugo, singled to right. But, instead of it being a two-run single, providing the Braves with a two-run lead, giving Atlanta four straight hits with no outs, Verdugo found himself at first with one out. Two batters later, the inning was over. Luckily for the Braves, they held onto their one-run lead to win the game 4-3. Jarred Kelenic tried to at least get to second after watching his ball hit the top of the wall. He ... More didn't get there on time. (Photo by) The next inning, Kelenic trotted right back out to right field as if nothing had happened. After the game, reporters rushed to manager Brian Snitker to get his reaction. And this is where the team's leader decided to throw some additional fuel on the dumpster fire. reporter Mark Bowman asked Snitker if he had said anything to Kelenic. Snitker angrily replied: 'Was I supposed to?' There are about 50 or 500 reasons why this is a bad response; one that should not have been uttered either in the heat of the moment or after careful consideration. Part of being a major league manager is knowing how to deal with the press, and knowing how to respond to difficult questions. This was not a difficult question. Snitker eventually said that he did not see the play. There are about 50 or 500 reasons why this is problematic. Sure, maybe, in the moment, the manager was looking at a scouting report, or was on the phone to the bullpen, or sneezed just as his right fielder swung the bat. It is easy to miss one play in a three-hour game. But it was only the sixth inning. Someone, a coach on his staff, an executive in the front office, a fan sitting next to the dugout, had to make Snitker aware of what just transpired. But, to be clear, even if the manager missed the play in real time, the Twins appealed the original 'safe' call; the slide at second was replayed on the jumbotron; the game stopped for this to be sorted out. It beggars belief that Snitker didn't see the play. Acuña, still away from the club as he rehabs his knee, took to X (formerly Twitter) to throw some additional fuel on the dumpster fire. The next morning he posted: 'If it were me, they would take me out of the game.' He quickly realized the error of his ways, and deleted the missive. But it was too late to keep this from furthering the controversy. To be clear, Acuña was not wrong. He was referencing a game in 2019 when he hit a ball to almost the exact same location as Kelenic, admired the shot in nearly the same manner, but he at least didn't try to stretch it into a double. After his long single, and after one inning in the field, Snitker brought Acuña down into the tunnel, spoke with him, and then pulled him from the game. Afterwards, Snitker told reporters: Last Saturday, Snitker did not pull Kelenic. In an effort to put out his dumpster fire, the manager said he saw the play on Sunday morning and then spoke with Kelenic. The outfielder, and his .170 batting average, was back in the lineup on Sunday, going 1-for-3. He still remains well below the 'Mendoza Line' (less than .200), has hit a mere two home runs, and has a negative bWAR for the year. If it is not suitable to reprimand this type of player for a lack of hustle, then who is? If it is not suitable to to punish/bench this type of player for hotdogging in a tie game when you are (at the time) seven games under .500 and fighting for everything just to get to par, then who is? Unfortunately, no one comes out this looking good. Kelenic adds another chapter to his book of his bust (6th overall pick in 2018; now with his third organization; career total of 0.2 bWAR). Acuña showed his pique and his immaturity by lashing out on social media rather than discussing this directly with his manager. And Snitker showed a total lack of care for what happens on the field, how his decisions (or lack thereof) may affect the clubhouse, or how his reactions play in the press and with the public. Being a manager requires being proficient at many skills, and with this incident, Snitker failed at all of them. At best, this event represents a manager already checked out in what may be his final season at the helm of the team. At worst, it infers racial disparity in assessing punishment for misdeeds. In the middle, it is just a bad look all around. The Braves have enough talent to win the NL East, and are only a win-streak away from leaping over the Nationals, Marlins, and Phillies to get right back into contention with the Mets. But, the effects of 'L'affaire Kelenic' may linger for much, much longer.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Braves Shuffle Lineup After Jurickson Profar Suspension
Major League Baseball suspended Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar for 80 games on Monday after he tested positive for a banned substance. The suspension comes just months after Profar signed a three-year, $42 million deal with Atlanta this offseason. Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar (7) is congratulated after scoring a run in Spring Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images Profar started the Braves' first four games in left field, going 3-for-15 in their series against the San Diego Padres. The 2024 MLB All-Star was expected to be the everyday left fielder, but Atlanta will now have to pivot while Profar serves his suspension. Advertisement Off to a disappointing 0-4 start, the Braves have been hit hard with injuries, and Profar's suspension only adds to their struggles. With 2023 NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. still recovering from knee surgery, Atlanta has turned to Jarred Kelenic in right field for the first four games, though Bryan De La Cruz is also competing for playing time. Profar's suspension means both Kelenic and De La Cruz will see more action. When the Braves face the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night, Kelenic will shift to left field, while De La Cruz makes his first start of the season in right field. Other immediate options for Atlanta in the outfield include Eli White and newly-acquired Stuart Fairchild. The Braves acquired Fairchild in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds Monday, suggesting they may have anticipated a hefty suspension for Profar. Advertisement The Braves could also turn to outfielder Alex Verdugo, who they signed near the end of Spring Training. Verdugo is currently at Triple-A Gwinnett, but is expected to join Atlanta in the near future, with Profar's suspension likely speeding up that timeline. In the meantime, Kelenic and De La Cruz will get the majority of reps in the corner outfield positions. Both players entered 2025 with pressure to perform in Acuña's absence and will now have more time to prove themselves thanks to Profar's untimely suspension. Michael Harris II remains Atlanta's everyday center fielder amid the corner outfield shuffle. With the Braves off to a nightmare start in 2025, the news of Profar's suspension couldn't have come at a worse time. Between a string of injuries and Monday's suspension, Atlanta will have to survive the early stages of the season until its stars return. With a three-game series in Los Angeles this week, the Braves need immediate production from Kelenic and De La Cruz. Related: Braves Right Fielders Are Running Out of Time
