SAN DIEGO — Outfielder Jarred Kelenic is back where he wants to be: in the major leagues with the White Sox.
He didn’t play in the Sox’ 8-2 victory Friday against the Padres that extended their winning streak to four games, but he wasn’t at Triple-A Charlotte, either.
The Sox and Kelenic, whom the Mets selected with the No. 6 overall pick of the 2018 draft, had high hopes in spring training. But he didn’t make the team.
‘‘I think the message was pretty clear,’’ Kelenic, 26, said before the Sox’ victory, which was fueled by Noah Schultz’s six scoreless innings and Munetaka Murakami’s three-run home run. ‘‘Really focus on controlling the strike zone. They were really high on my talent. They knew that as long as I began controlling the strike zone and getting my ‘A’ swing out, good things would happen.’’
The adjustments he made apparently were good enough. Kelenic was called up when the Sox put Everson Pereira on the injured list Wednesday with a strained muscle on the right side of his chest.
It wasn’t as though Kelenic was lighting up the minor leagues. In 26 games, he hit .202 with six home runs, 18 RBI, 16 runs scored and seven stolen bases.
But the bulk of those numbers came in his last 10 games, when he hit .333 (12-for-36) with five homers, 12 RBI and 10 runs scored.
Kelenic pinch-hit in the ninth inning of the Sox’ 3-2, 10-inning victory Wednesday against the Angels at Rate Field and struck out swinging. He batted .179 in spring training before the Sox demoted him.
‘‘It was a tough decision to send him down,’’ manager Will Venable said. ‘‘He hadn’t really tapped into his best swing. He did some good things defensively. He clicked on a couple of balls at the plate in camp, but he wasn’t the best version of himself.
‘‘He went down, struggled a little bit early but did some quality work to get himself back on track to be the best version of himself. And that’s what we expect to get out of him now.’’
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