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Texas Rangers’ Jarred Kelenic heads to the dugout after an at-bat during the second inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Arlington, Texas.<\/p>\n
LM Otero\/AP Photo\/LM Otero<\/p>\n
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) \u2014 Jarred Kelenic is on his fourth team in four seasons, appearing in the big leagues for a second franchise this year after joining each club on a minor league contract.<\/p>\n
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If that sounds a bit like a 30-something journeyman, it’s not. Kelenic made his first start for the Texas Rangers in left field against San Diego on Saturday, a little less than a month before his 27th birthday.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI mean, I broke into the league at 25,\u201d Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. \u201cAnd I was not nearly as talented as him.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2021, Kelenic was one of the top prospects in baseball when he debuted for Seattle as a 21-year-old about 2 1\/2 years after he was the primary piece for the Mariners in a trade that sent Robinson Can\u00f3 and Edwin Diaz to the New York Mets.<\/p>\n
Kelenic, the sixth overall pick in the 2018 amateur draft, hit .168 in his first 500 at-bats over two seasons with the Mariners, then was coming off a solid third year with Seattle when he was traded to Atlanta before the 2024 season.<\/p>\n
After hitting .222 over two years with the Braves, Kelenic signed a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training with the Chicago White Sox this year and began the year with Triple-A Charlotte.<\/p>\n
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The next big-league call came in late April, but the White Sox designated him for assignment with a .226 average over 19 games, most of them starts in right field.<\/p>\n
Rinse and repeat with the Rangers. Kelenic signed a minor league deal on June 2, hit .340 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 13 games at Triple-A Round Rock and found himself in the majors again.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think those expectations are tough, especially as a young player, but I still believe in the talent and the player that I can be each and every day,\u201d Kelenic said. \u201cI haven\u2019t lost any faith in that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The promotion of Kelenic on Friday had the look of a shake-up for an offense that has underperformed and dealt with plenty of injuries.<\/p>\n
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The Rangers sent down second baseman Josh Smith, who hasn’t been in the minors since 2022 and is coming off a stint on the injured list that included wrist and glute injuries and a bout with viral meningitis.<\/p>\n
The change offered Schumaker a chance to discuss with Kelenic the latest chance for the Wisconsin native to make things click in the big leagues.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe definitely talked through that,\u201d Schumaker said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot that was probably on his plate early on. So for him to kind of evolve into the person he is now and see things in a different way, and perspective is always great and it has helped him. I think he\u2019s in a really good spot right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Three years ago, Kelenic spent almost two months on the injured list after breaking his foot kicking a water cooler in the dugout following a ninth-inning strikeout with Seattle. Count that among the lessons of experience as he tries again.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI think it really stems down to the game plan for the pitcher that you\u2019re facing,\u201d Kelenic said. \u201cI think that before, I got to the big leagues without really understanding the importance of a plan and was never really taught the importance of a plan. It\u2019s tough to not have a plan. And it actually makes you ride that emotional roller coaster even more because you have nothing to fall back on.\u201d<\/p>\n