Jays’ Yusei Kikuchi set for first start back in Seattle

Jared Kelenik struggled to hold back tears while sitting seattle mariners‘ dugout, he had a walking boot on his left foot, answering questions from reporters before Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Twins

when the left fielder is unavailable mariners Open a three match series against the guest toronto blue jays Friday after being placed on the 10-day injured list

On Wednesday, Kelenik broke his leg after hitting a water cooler after striking out in the ninth inning of Seattle’s 6-3 loss against Minnesota.

“I just, I just made a mistake,” she cried. “I let emotions get the better of me out there. I feel bad, especially for the boys. I let the emotions get the better of me and let them down. I take full responsibility for it. It’s on me. This can’t be happening.”

Kelenik struggled through a nine-pitch at-bat without an out and got two runners on base against Twins closer Jhoan Duran, fouling three 103-plus mph fastballs before being called for the third strike on a breaking pitch to the outfield corner.

Returning to the dugout, Kelenik expressed his disappointment.

“No one feels worse about it than Jared,” mariners manager Scott Servais said. “I think it’s a lesson learned for him and all the players

“Players get disappointed when they don’t get the expected results. But you have to control your emotions, it’s part of being a professional. … He let it get the best of him and it affects all of us.”

Kelenik, a former first-round pick acquired by Seattle in the 2018 trade that sent Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano to the New York Mets, had a breakout season, batting .252 with 11 home runs and 45 RBI.

his absence disturbed marinersa 5–0 win over the Twins on Thursday, when George Kirby pitched seven shutout innings and Teoscar Hernandez and Mike Ford homered.

blue Jays They beat the visiting San Diego Padres 4–0 on Thursday to avoid a three-game sweep. Chris Bassitt and three relievers pitched a six-hitter, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and homered Alejandro Kirke

Bassitt said, “Every win counts.” “The (American League East) we’re in is the best division in baseball, so you get excited about any win.”

“I’m always on top. Since the first game of the season, I’ve been looking at the standings,” Guerrero said through a translator regarding the run to the playoffs.

Toronto left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (7-3, 4.13 ERA) is scheduled to start against his former team on Friday. mariners The plan is to send rookie right-hander Bryce Miller (6-3, 3.66) to the mound.

Kikuchi, who is 0-1 with a 6.43 ERA in three starts this month, struggled with his command and lasted only 4 2/3 innings against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday. He gave up two runs, one earned, on two hits and three walks.

This will be his first appearance in Seattle after signing with blue Jays As a free agent before the 2022 season. made his only career start against marinersOn May 16, 2022, he earned the win while allowing only one hit in six scoreless innings.

in three seasons with marinersKikuchi went 15–24 with a 4.97 ERA in 70 starts.

Miller, who will face Toronto for the first time, pitched five scoreless innings in a 2-0 win against the visiting Detroit Tigers on Sunday.

–Field Level Media