The Atlanta Braves have achieved a milestone by winning back-to-back games for the first time in the 2025 Major League Baseball season. However, not everyone appeared to be fully committed during Saturday’s victory. In the sixth inning of the game against the Minnesota Twins, Jarred Kelenic, who is batting .170 this season, hit what he believed to be a home run. He admired his hit, slowly leaving the batter’s box and jogging toward first base, unaware that the ball hit the wall. By the time he realized the situation, it was too late to reach second base, resulting in a throw from the Twins that caught him out, a particularly poor showing for the struggling hitter with the game tied at 3-3.
Jarred Kelenic, my man, you can’t pimp a single off the wall and get thrown out at second base when you’re hitting .174 pic.twitter.com/MYANCrOaG9
— Lindsay Crosby, big baseball guy (@CrosbyBaseball) April 20, 2025
Following the game, Braves manager Brian Snitker was approached for comments regarding Kelenic’s apparent lack of hustle, to which he responded succinctly, “Was I supposed to,” according to MLB.com reporter Mark Bowman. Many Braves fans expressed a desire for Snitker to bench Kelenic after the incident, but the manager deemed such action unnecessary.
He protected Kelenic by replying “Was I supposed to” when asked if he had said anything to Kelenic. He certainly could have said something, seeing how Kelenic’s home run trot put him on the dugout side of the first base coach’s box when the ball hit the wall. https://t.co/z49jv2pr6a
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 20, 2025
This situation contrasts sharply with events in 2019 when Snitker removed Ronald Acuña Jr. from a game for a similar infraction, where Acuña admired what he thought was a home run that turned out to be a long single due to his lack of speed. Snitker had stated back then, “He didn’t run. You’ve got to run. It’s not going to be acceptable here. As a teammate, you’re responsible for 24 other guys. That name on the front is a lot more important than that name on the back of that jersey. You can’t do that. We’re trying to accomplish something special here. Personal things have to be put on the back burner.”
While the 2023 NL MVP remained professional afterwards, expressing respect for Snitker’s decision, he noted the apparent double standard, acknowledging that had he made the same mistake, he would have been benched. Acuña took to social media to share his sentiments, stating, “If it were me, they would take me out of the game.”
Debate around Acuña’s public comment aside, Snitker’s handling of the situation raises eyebrows, especially regarding the apparent double standard. It will be interesting to see if further comments come from Snitker, Acuña, or Kelenic now that the issue is exposed.
