Fastball

Here's What Jarred Kelenic Had to Say Ahead of His Return to Seattle

The Seattle Mariners beat the Atlanta Braves on Monday night, 2-1, thanks to a walk-off home run from Mitch Garver. However, what happened before the game was also much-anticipated as Jarred Kelenic spoke about his return to the Emerald City.

Brady Farkas

Apr 16, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Jarred Kelenic (24) runs to first
Apr 16, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Jarred Kelenic (24) runs to first / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
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The Seattle Mariners beat the Atlanta Braves on Monday night, 2-1, thanks to a walk-off home run from slugger Mitch Garver.

While the walk-off homer was excellent, as was the pitchers duel between Max Fried and Bryce Miller, what happened before the game was also interesting as Braves' outfielder Jarred Kelenic addressed the Seattle media for the first time since being traded from the Mariners this offseason.

Adam Jude of the Seattle Times provided a portion of the video:

"...I've grown so much as a person and a player, for the better, but as a baseball player, I felt like I went through a lof ups-and-downs here, a lot of emotional rollercoasters and everybody saw it. When I look back at my time, I appreciate the good times even more..."

The Marine Layer podcast also posted some of the video on "X," with Kelenic describing the moment he found out he was being traded.

The 24-year-old Kelenic was acquired by the Mariners after the 2018 season in the deal that sent Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the New York Mets and he was supposed to join Julio Rodriguez as the next great stars of the organization. Unfortunately, it just didn't happen for Kelenic in Seattle and he was dealt to Atlanta this past offseason.

Though he always played hard and hit some mammoth home runs, he hit just .204 in parts of three seasons with Seattle. He's in a strict platoon with the Braves right now and is hitting .306 with no homers and four RBI.

The Mariners' fans gave Kelenic some applause during his first at-bat on Monday. The two teams play again on Tuesday night.

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Brady Farkas

BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.