Coming into the 2025 season, Jarred Kelenic's leash was seemingly coming to an end. The frustrating outfielder had struggled in 2024, and with the Atlanta Braves adding Jurickson Profar, it seemed like the lefty had until Ronald Acuña Jr. returned to prove his worth.
While Kelenic's leash grew a little longer after Profar's early season suspension, the 25-year-old just narrowly survived getting sent to the minors when the Braves added veteran outfielder Alex Verdugo. Now, with Acuña Jr. likely weeks from returning, the clock is running out.
How Alex Verdugo's promotion spells trouble for Jarred Kelenic
Kelenic's start to the 2025 season has few silver linings. While the outfielder had a sudden new found propensity for plate discipline, he's still carrying a sky-high strikeout rate at 37%, and when he has hit the ball in play, he hasn't hit it very well.
Through 46 plate appearances coming into Friday's game against the Minnesota Twins, Kelenic has slashed .146/.239/.244, good for a 42 wRC+. His .246 xwOBA suggests he's getting slightly unlucky, it's only 20 points better than his actual wOBA of .226.
While Kelenic started Friday in right field again, Verdugo is set to get the bulk of action in the outfield for the remaining time that Profar is suspended for. Ronald Acuña Jr. also recently received the go-ahead to start ramping up his rehab efforts, which means that when the 2023 MVP does return, Kelenic will once again be squeezed out of playing time.
Ronald Acuña Jr. was cleared to ramp up activity and begin progressing toward a rehab assignment. No timetable, but seems like he’s on schedule to return at some point in the next month, as we’d originally thought.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) April 15, 2025
It's noteworthy that Alex Verdugo, who was the fifth-worst qualified outfielder in 2024, is a massive improvement over Kelenic right now. Even if Verdugo repeated his career-worst 83 wRC+ season in 2025, it would be twice the value Kelenic is currently giving the Braves at the plate.
What's even worse, however, is that since Kelenic has not proven himself to be a worth holding even a bench spot. The Braves currently roster two right-handed outfielders with better defensive and base running skills than Kelenic in Eli White and Stuart Fairchild.
Despite being a lefty, the offense is markedly worse than Drake Baldwin, the team's backup catcher who isn't likely to start more than two games a week, leaving him fully capable of pinch-hitting.
No matter which way you cut it, unless things change drastically very quickly, time might be up for Kelenic in a Braves uniform.