2 months agoUntil Atlanta Braves outfielder
Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) is able to return from a torn left ACL he suffered last year,
Jarred Kelenic will be the team's primary right fielder, but MLB.com's Mark Bowman writes that Kelenic could platoon with the right-handed-hitting
Bryan De La Cruz.
Jurickson Profar will start in left, and
Michael Harris II will be in center field. In his first year with Atlanta in 2024, Kelenic, a former top prospect with the Seattle Mariners, slashed .231/.286/.393 with 15 home runs in 131 regular-season games. The 25-year-old posted a rough .595 OPS in the second half and will likely be Atlanta's fourth outfielder when Acuna returns. De La Cruz, 28, doesn't really take many walks, but he did hit .285/.309/.425 in 188 plate appearances against lefties with the Marlins and Pirates. A short-side platoon early on could give him some fantasy appeal in deep-mixed and NL-only leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mark Bowman
3 months agoAccording to the team, outfielder
Jarred Kelenic and the Atlanta Braves have agreed to a one-year contract worth $2.3 million to avoid arbitration. The former top prospect spent the entire 2024 campaign with the Atlanta Braves. While he performed well at times, he struggled to find consistency as he held an overall .231/.286/.393 slash line with 15 home runs and seven stolen bases. During the first half, he held a solid .255 AVG and a .418 SLG but saw his production drop considerably in the second half to a mere .182 AVG and a .343 SLG. The 25-year-old generated a modest 45.2% hard-hit rate and a 9.9% barrel rate. Fantasy managers should expect Kelenic to operate as the everyday left fielder in Atlanta in 2025 but could be given a shorter leash given his late-season struggles in 2024.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Atlanta Braves
7 months agoAtlanta Braves outfielder
Jarred Kelenic will sit for the second straight game on Friday night against the division-rival Washington Nationals at Truist Field with left-hander on the mound.
Ramon Laureano will make the start in left field and will bat fifth against Nationals left-hander
MacKenzie Gore. The Braves haven't let Kelenic face any left-handed starters in the second half of the season, and that's not going to change now that
Michael Harris II is back from his hamstring injury. The 25-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder has gone 14-for-63 (.222) against lefties in his first year in Atlanta with just one of his 13 home runs on the season. Laureano will make yet another start for Atlanta, but his playing time could dry up now that
Jorge Soler is back from his hamstring injury. In his 37 games for the Braves, Laureano is hitting .284 (29-for-102) with six homers and 12 RBI. He's never faced Gore in his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Atlanta Braves
7 months agoAtlanta Braves outfielder
Jarred Kelenic retreats to the bench on Thursday against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies at Truist Park with a left-handed pitcher on the mound.
Adam Duvall will make the start in left field and will hit sixth for the Braves against Phillies left-hander
Cristopher Sanchez. Duvall has never faced Sanchez in his career. Seven of his 10 long balls on the year have come against southpaws in 2024, but Duvall is also batting .178 (52-for-293) on the year with 98 strikeouts and 20 walks in 95 total games played. Now that
Michael Harris II is back from his hamstring injury, the 25-year-old lefty swinging Kelenic will see more time off against southpaws. Only one of his 13 home runs this year have come against left-handed pitching, while he's hitting a weak .222 (14-for-67) against them. Kelenic has homered once in August while going 14-for-54 (.259).
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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