The Padres have needed to lock down a Wild Card spot with out Ha-Seong Kim. The shortstop jammed his proper shoulder diving into first base on a pickoff try on August 18. The Padres positioned him on the injured record a pair days later with a prognosis of shoulder irritation.
San Diego initially expressed optimism it will be a short-term absence. Kim has as an alternative been out for greater than 5 weeks and isn’t on the verge of a return. Supervisor Mike Shildt supplied a disappointing replace on the Gwynn & Chris present on 97.3 The Fan in San Diego tonight (X hyperlink).
“He simply hasn’t been in a position to recover from that hump together with his throwing,” Shildt stated. “The hitting’s not an issue, that half’s good, however he hasn’t been in a position to persistently throw with something behind it. … We’re nonetheless weighing what’s going down, however proper now, he’s not in a spot the place we are able to depend on him within the very close to future.” In response to a follow-up query as as to if there’s a date at which the window for Kim to return this season formally closes, Shildt replied “there may be, and we could also be getting there.”
Making issues worse, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reviews (on X) that Kim may require an offseason labrum restore. That’d be a brutal blow as he returns to free company. The assured portion of his four-year deal is coming to a detailed. As is the case with most gamers signing out of Korea or Japan, he’s eligible without spending a dime company regardless of having lower than six years of MLB service. Kim will decline his finish of an $8MM mutual choice for subsequent season. He’ll gather a $2MM buyout and return to the market.
If wholesome, he has a case for a powerful four-year deal. Kim’s skill to play plus protection all through the infield has been extremely worthwhile. He stole 38 bases a season in the past and has gone 22-27 on the basepaths this season. Kim doesn’t have overwhelming energy, however he has gotten into double-digit residence run territory in three straight years. He attracts loads of walks and infrequently strikes out.
Kim hit .233/.330/.370 over 470 plate appearances through the common season. He carries a .250/.336/.385 slash for the reason that begin of 2022. As of a pair months in the past, Kim’s sturdiness had satirically been one among his largest promoting factors. That is the primary time in his 4 MLB campaigns that he has landed on the injured record.
It’ll take at the very least a couple of extra weeks to study the affect of the damage on Kim’s free agent inventory. The extra fast focus for the Padres is on their playoff infield. San Diego has kicked Xander Bogaerts again to the left aspect of the grime. Jake Cronenworth has moved over to second base. That opens first base enjoying time for Donovan Solano and a few defensive reps for major DH Luis Arraez, with David Peralta drawing into the lineup at designated hitter whereas Arraez is within the subject. The Padres known as up Nick Ahmed final weekend to work as a defensive specialist behind Bogaerts.
