Braves benefiting from Jarred Kelenic embracing leadoff 'opportunity'

Heading into Monday night’s matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals, Braves outfielder, Jarred Kelenic had a .324 batting average with three homeruns and six RBIs through eight games at the lead off position after taking over the lineup spot. And while Kelenic has seen a significant boost in his numbers, what has been more important is the apparent lift that the Braves have gotten for the once platooned outfielder as they went 6-2 and produced 40 runs.

“Of course, he starts the season as essentially a platoon guy, which he has been really unselfish here,” Braves TV color analyst CJ Nitkowski said on Tuesday as he joined The Morning Shift, and shared his thoughts on the performance of Kelenic, especially when coming into the season with the Braves, the club made it clear of his role being a limited one.

“He’s been a great soldier and he’s gone with it and he’s done a great job and then the opportunity pops up to play every day. He was ready right away,” Nitkwoski added as he praised Kelenic for stepping into the leadoff spot in the absence of Ronald Acuna Jr. and Michael Harris II. “He stepped in right away, he was comfortable, you could tell he was excited about the opportunity,” Nitkwoski said.