According to Justin Toscano of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic played through several injuries last season. Toscano noted that the outfielder battled an oblique, wrist, and foot injury during the season. Kelenic said that none were "serious" and were just the result of the long season. Earlier in the offseason, it was reported that Kelenic is expected to compete for opportunities in right field alongside Bryan De La Cruz, while Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) is sidelined. Both outfielders will likely be deployed in a platoon role, but a strong spring training could increase his playing opportunities. Last season, the former top prospect posted a .231/.286/.393 line with 15 home runs and seven stolen bases. However, when facing right-handers, he was more effective, as he held a .235/.295/.416 line. If he opens the season on the strong side of a platoon, he could have value in deeper NL-only formats.

Until 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.

According 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.

Atlanta 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.

Atlanta 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).

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic will take a seat in Sunday's series finale as the Braves will play the rubber match of a three-game set against the Rockies. Kelenic has been held out of the starting lineup against southpaws over the past month, and this trend will continue on Sunday. In addition, the former top prospect was typically found in the leadoff spot but has recently begun to bat toward the back half of the lineup. Since August 1, the left-handed bat has held a solid .241 AVG with .414 SLG. Adam Duvall will cover left field, which will open center field for Eli White, who are both great picks in DFS as they will face Colorado southpaw Kyle Freeland, who carries a hefty 5.65 ERA.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic is starting Sunday's game on the bench against the hosting division-rival New York Mets with left-hander David Peterson on the mound. Ramon Laureano will get the start in center field and will bat sixth for the Braves against Peterson. Kelenic has become Atlanta's starter in center field with Michael Harris II (hamstring) on the injured list, but he hasn't taken advantage of the extra playing time. The 25-year-old left-handed swinger is hitting a meager .125 (11-for-88) with two home runs, six RBI, seven walks and 30 strikeouts in 22 games played over the last 28 days. In addition, he's gone 14-for-59 (.237) with only one of his 11 home runs on the season against left-handed pitchers. When Harris returns around mid-August, expect Kelenic to go back to a platoon role in a corner-outfield spot for the Braves.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic was 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Sunday's win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Kelenic is now hitting .272 with 10 homers and 29 RBI this season. It was the first home run in July for the 24-year-old after hitting six homers with 14 RBI in June. Kelenic has taken on an increased role following Ronald Acuna's injury and has rewarded patient fantasy managers.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic had a big day in his team's doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. Kelenic started in center field and hit leadoff in both contests, combining to go 6-for-9 with one homer, four RBI, and a stolen base across both games. The 24-year-old has been a solid contributor for the Braves this season, hitting .282 with eight homers, 24 runs, 25 RBI, and three steals across 209 at-bats. He is worth a look as a reserve option in deeper mixed leagues and NL-only formats moving forward.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic went 2-for-2 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Boston Red Sox. He blasted a two-run shot off Kutter Crawford in the bottom of the third inning to give the Braves a 2-0 lead. Kelenic's homer traveled 368 feet with an exit velocity of 97 mph. It was his home run for the Braves as well as the regular season. He is now slashing .280/.333/.373 with a home run, six RBI, and nine runs scored over 81 plate appearances in 2024. Kelenic will continue to sit against lefties in favor of Adam Duvall, and his long ball on Tuesday was his first hit over his last five games. Despite his recent struggles, Kelenic produces enough to be a fantasy starter in 12-plus team leagues or formats that require you to start five outfielders.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic is out of the starting lineup on Friday with the team facing a left-handed pitcher. Veteran Adam Duvall will instead get the start in left field and will bat ninth against the visiting Cleveland Guardians and left-hander Logan Allen. Kelenic is hitting a strong .314 (16-for-51), although he has yet to clear the fences and has driven in only three runs in his first year in Atlanta. He's also only had one plate appearance against a southpaw this year, so fantasy managers should continue to expect him to sit regularly when Atlanta opposes a lefty. Duvall is a career .233 hitters against lefties in 921 plate appearances with 47 homers and 132 RBI. He has two home runs on the season but is a low-upside DFS play in the nine-hole against a pitcher he's never faced in his career.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic is on the bench on Friday with the team facing a left-hander. With Kelenic starting on the bench, Adam Duvall will make the start in left field for Atlanta and hit sixth in the batting order versus Texas Rangers left-hander Andrew Heaney. It's not out of the ordinary for Kelenic to get benched against a left-handed pitcher and he could use the break right now after going 2-for-13 with six strikeouts in his last four games played. The 24-year-old former Seattle Mariner has otherwise enjoyed his time so far in Atlanta, going 14-for-39 (.359) but with no home runs and only three RBI to show for it in his first 14 games. Duvall is hitless in his two career at-bats against Heaney.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic will start Wednesday's game against southpaw Jose Quintana and the visiting New York Mets on the bench. The move to the bench against a left-hander comes as no surprise as the Braves added the righty-swinging Adam Duvall just before Opening Day to platoon with Kelenic in left field after he was originally scheduled to handle primary left-field duties with the Braves this season. Acquired in a trade with the Mariners this winter, the 24-year-old is off to a hot start, hitting .462 (9-for-26) but he is also without a home run or a stolen base and has struck out in 31% of his plate appearance, a trend that's continued from last season. Additionally, he sports a massive .706 BABIP that will crater sharply moving forward.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic will head to the bench on Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks with the team facing a left-handed pitcher. With Kelenic starting on the pine, Adam Duvall will make the start in left field for the Braves and will hit sixth against Diamondbacks left-hander Tommy Henry. It's not going to be uncommon for Kelenic to sit against left-handed hurlers, at least early on in 2024. The 35-year-old Duvall has three hits and three RBI in his first 10 at-bats of the 2024 season in three games and will be a sneaky DFS play against a soft-tossing left-hander on Friday. Duvall is a career .233 hitter with 45 home runs and 127 RBI in 897 plate appearances against southpaw. He's never faced Henry in his career.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic went 1-for-1 with his first homer of the spring on Tuesday to finish up his rough Grapefruit League. Acquired from the Seattle Mariners this offseason, the former top prospect was expected to be an everyday outfielder with his new club, but has struggled mightily this spring. Aside from his homer on Tuesday, Kelenic was a rough 8-for-56 with four RBI this spring. His struggles even led to the Braves bringing back outfielder Adam Duvall, who will likely take playing time away from the 24-year-old. Kelenic has always had huge potential, but he other than the first half of 2023, he has not shown much. His potential makes him a strong watch-list candidate in the deepest of leagues, but he does not warrant being drafted in most formats.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic ended his spring training on a positive note in Tuesday's 9-6 Grapefruit League loss to the Twins. Kelenic only had one at-bat, hitting a 452-foot solo home run off Louie Varland in the third inning. It was a bright spot in an otherwise dreary spring for the 24-year-old, as he batted just .143 in 56 spring at-bats and did not have a HR until Tuesday. However, the former first-round pick has been working with hitting coach Kevin Seitzer in an attempt to unlock his potential. Kelenic did show some positive signs in 2023, but it remains to be seen if he can provide fantasy impact with his new team.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic has been told he will be in a platoon in left field alongside the newly-signed Adam Duvall this upcoming season. Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said earlier in the offseason he was leaning toward playing Kelenic every day in left after acquiring him in a trade from the Seattle Mariners. Perhaps a tough spring from Kelenic has led to the Duvall signing, as Kelenic is just 3-for-34 (.088) with no homers, one stolen base, and a .272 OPS across 12 games and 38 trips to the plate in Grapefruit League action. The 24-year-old former top prospect hit .253 with 11 home runs, 13 stolen bases, and a .746 OPS across 105 games with the Mariners in 2023, including a .259 average and a .774 OPS off of left-handed pitching. His fantasy value certainly takes a hit with the reduced playing time, but he still boasts a solid combination of power and speed that could take another step forward in the 2024 campaign.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic went 0-for-1 with a pair of walks in Sundays Grapefruit League contest versus the rival Philadelphia Phillies. The former top prospect was acquired from the Seattle Mariners earlier in the offseason and is coming off of his best year as a pro with a .253 batting average to go along with 11 homers, 49 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 105 games. The Braves are expected to use Kelenic as an everyday outfielder and their should be less pressure on the 24-year-old with many star teammates in a powerful Braves lineup. Kelenic is worth continuing to roster in dynasty leagues and makes for an intriguing upside play in redraft formats.

Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos said the team is leaning toward playing outfielder Jarred Kelenic every day rather than having him start in a platoon in 2024 in his first year with the club. The Braves think he'll benefit more from everyday at-bats, even if he struggles early like Michael Harris II did. Atlanta doesn't really have an obvious platoon partner for the 24-year-old to begin with anyway. The former first-rounder in 2018 was a big disappointment in his first two big-league seasons with the Seattle Mariners before hitting .253 (94-for-372) with 11 home runs, 49 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 105 games in 2023 before fracturing his left foot when he kicked a water cooler in the dugout out of frustration. He has struck out a third of the time in the big leagues, but if he can bring the gains he made last year into 2024 with his new team, he'll have plenty of fantasy appeal.

The Atlanta Braves acquired outfielder Jarred Kelenic, left-hander Marco Gonzales and first baseman Evan White from the Seattle Mariners on Sunday night in exchange for pitchers Jackson Kowar and Cole Phillips. Kelenic, a former top prospect, struggled in his three seasons with Seattle. However, he was having his best year in 2023 before fracturing his toe when he kicked a water cooler in the dugout in frustration. The 24-year-old will have some sleeper appeal with the move to Atlanta, and he should start regularly in left field against right-handed pitching. Gonzales, 31, struggled to an ERA over 5.00 in 2023 and made only 10 starts due to surgery on his left forearm. White, 27, who hasn't played in the big leagues the last two years, was mainly a salary dump for the M's. He has season-ending hip surgery in May.