The Seattle Mariners have lost an important bat as they try to get back in the postseason race. Outfielder Jarred Kelenic was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left foot fracture, the team announced Thursday. Kelenic suffered the injury kicking a water cooler in the dugout after striking out in the ninth inning of Wednesday's loss to the Minnesota Twins (MIN 6, SEA 3).
"He feels terrible. He knows he let a lot of people down," Mariners manager Scott Servais said Thursday (per the Seattle Times).
The Mariners have not yet announced a timetable for Kelenic's return, though he does not require surgery. Needless to say, a broken foot may come with a lengthy absence. The trade deadline is Aug. 1 and Kelenic's injury will likely push the Mariners into the market for an outfielder. They were already expected to seek a bat to help an offense that ranks 18th in runs per game.
Kelenic, 24, had a tremendous start to the season, slashing .308/.364/.615 with seven home runs in April. He has cooled significantly since then, hitting .230/.303/.370 with a 34.5% strikeout rate since May 1. That said, Kelenic is one of the few potent left-handed bats in Seattle's lineup, and it looked like he was on his way to living up to his potential as a former top prospect.
Outfield prospect Cade Marlowe was called up to replace Kelenic. It will be his MLB debut. The 26-year-old Marlowe owns a .255/.332/.461 batting line with 11 home runs and 25 steals in 69 Triple-A games this season. Baseball America ranks him the No. 16 prospect in Seattle's farm system. Here's a snippet of their scouting report:
Marlowe is a strong, athletic lefthanded hitter with impact tools despite being old for a prospect. He has above-average power and drives balls to the middle of the field to rack up doubles and homers. He makes loud contact when he connects and is a threat on the bases with his plus speed and sharp base-stealing acumen. Marlowe has decent strike-zone discipline, but his swing is stiff and he whiffs in the zone too often. His strength and discipline give him a chance to be a below-average hitter, but he'll likely struggle against better arms. Marlowe's speed and instincts make him an above-average defender at all three outfield positions.
Marlowe and A.J. Pollock figure to platoon in left field while Kelenic is sidelined, at least until the Mariners bring in help at the deadline. Outfielders Cody Bellinger (Chicago Cubs), Adam Duvall (Boston Red Sox), Randal Grichuk (Colorado Rockies), and Lane Thomas (Washington Nationals) rank among our top 20 trade candidates.
The Mariners enter play Thursday with a 47-48 record. They are 10 games back in the AL West and 5.5 games back of the third and final wild-card spot with four teams ahead of them.
