Jarred Kelenic’s return date is likely to come in weeks, not days. (Getty)
There is little doubt that the Mariners’ perspective that Jarred Kelenic likes the spotlight, but there is no doubt that being the main subject on Saturday is something he could dispense with. That’s because what appeared to be a knee pull out of the batter’s box on Friday afternoon in Glendale, Arizona, turned out to be more than that.
Related: Kelenic of the Mariners will lose time after suffering a knee injury
The Mariners announced on Saturday morning that an MRI scan revealed that Kelenic has a strain of the adductor muscle of the left knee. It is a Grade 2 strain and, although not as severe as a Grade 3 rupture, Grade 2 strains involve laceration. This means that Kelenic is dealing with a return that is likely to be measured in weeks, not days.
The injury interrupts what had been a solid start to the Cactus League game for Kelenic, who appeared in three games for the Mariners, making two matches and scoring two strikes – including the Mariners’ first home run in the spring.
Earlier this week: Kelenic has a big day, including the first HR of spring
“I feel bad for him, he certainly needs to play,” said coach Scott Servais after the Mariners’ 1-1 draw on Saturday against A’s. “He needs development time; these games are so important. But knowing him, he is a very intense young man, who will do anything to get back on the field as soon as he can ”.
The eyes of all baseball are on Kelenic after comments from former team president Kevin Mather about his arrival in the big leagues, which led Kelenic and his agent to contain in a USA Today article that he should have been drafted in 2020 and that the Mariners said it would have been if he had signed a long-term contract with the club. In question: length of service. The Mariners claim that after only 21 games above the High-A level, he has not yet achieved the goals of his development plan, a plan that they insist was known to the player. Still, Kelenic was at camp to try to win a place, using Mather’s words and the situation as additional motivation.
That point – the left field – remains wide open. Although the timeline for Kelenic’s return has yet to be revealed, it is important to give time to heal any muscle breakdown, especially at the beginning of the season. This is something that neither side should want to miss, and Kelenic shouldn’t be in the hitter’s box or on the field trying to make up for it. The worst thing that could happen is the player who is ranked 1st or 2nd in the Mariners’ farm system (depending on the output) suffers yet another injury from being taken back to the field.
A great springtime storyline has probably come to an end, but a fully healthy Kelenic will almost certainly make some noise, regardless of your return date.
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