Jarred Kelenic to miss extended period with foot fracture

The Mariners will be without Jarred Kelenic for the foreseeable future, after fracturing his foot during Wednesday’s game versus the Twins.

Already struggling since the All-Star Break, the Mariners have received some more unwanted news. They will now be without Jarred Kelenic for an extended period of time.

Kelenic has been placed on the 10-day injured list, with a left foot fracture. He suffered the injury due to kicking a Gatorade cooler in frustration, following an at-bat during the final inning of Wednesday’s 6-3 loss to the Twins.

While it is uncertain how long the 24-year-old will be absent, Mariners manager Scott Servais advised surgery won’t be necessary. Servais said:

“I know it’s his left foot. A broken bone, I don’t know what the timetable is, but it takes a while for those things to heal. So he’ll be in a boot and immobilized for the time being.”

Mariners will miss Jarred Kelenic

In what was an avoidable situation, there is a possibility Kelenic’s season could be over. Regardless, a lengthy absence will be tough for the Mariners to overcome, especially with their offensive struggles.

While the 2018 sixth overall draft pick has cooled down after a hot start to the season, he’s still been one of the Mariners’ most consistent bats. He leads the team in doubles and is tied-first in triples, as well as first in slugging percentage and second in OPS among regular starters.

Kelenic has also provided solid defense in left field, including a 0.987 fielding percentage. His loss truly is a blow to the Mariners and their already floundering playoff chances.

The Waukesha, Wisconsin native was distraught when speaking to the media on Thursday morning. As per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, he said:

“I just feel terrible, especially for the guys. I just let the emotions get the best of me, and I just let them down. I take full responsibility for it. It’s on me. That just can’t happen.”

Ever since an encouraging spring training, Kelenic has been one of the feel-good stories for the Mariners this season. Now, he instead adds to the disappointment of what has so far been an underachieving season in Seattle.

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Deep regret

The former New York Met lamented not being able to play for the foreseeable future. He said:

“I love to win. I’m a huge competitor, and that’s the hardest part; I can’t be out there to help the guys.”

No matter how annoyed anyone else might be with Kelenic, it will pale in comparison to what he’s going through. As Servais said:

“Nobody feels worse about it than Jarred does. I think it’s a learning lesson for him, for all players. Players get frustrated when they’re not getting the results they’re looking for. But you’ve got to be able to control your emotions. That’s part of being a professional. Last night he let it get the best of him, and it affects all of us.”

Due to Kelenic’s injury the Mariners recalled Cade Marlowe from Triple-A Tacoma, to make his Major League debut on Thursday for the series finale with the Twins. Moving forward, he is projected to share playing time in left field with AJ Pollock and Dylan Moore.

In addition, the loss of Kelenic reinforces the need to bring in some offense prior to the trade deadline. How this plays out between now and Aug. 1, will go a long way towards determining how the season concludes for the Mariners.

How much will the loss of Jarred Kelenic hurt the Mariners? Do you still see them making a genuine challenge for a playoff spot? Let us know in the comments section below.