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 checklist a pair days later with a analysis 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 offered a disappointing replace on the Gwynn & Chris present on 97.3 The Fan in San Diego tonight (X hyperlink).
“He simply hasn’t been capable of recover from that hump along with his throwing,” Shildt stated. “The hitting’s not an issue, that half’s good, however he hasn’t been capable of 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 will rely on him within the very close to future.” In response to a follow-up query as as to whether 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 studies (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 free of charge 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 accumulate a $2MM buyout and return to the market.
If wholesome, he has a case for a powerful four-year deal. Kim’s means to play plus protection all through the infield has been extremely useful. 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 dwelling run territory in three straight years. He attracts loads of walks and barely strikes out.
Kim hit .233/.330/.370 over 470 plate appearances in the course of 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 sarcastically been considered one of his largest promoting factors. That is the primary time in his 4 MLB campaigns that he has landed on the injured checklist.
It’ll take no less than just a few extra weeks to study the impression of the harm on Kim’s free agent inventory. The extra speedy focus for the Padres is on their playoff infield. San Diego has kicked Xander Bogaerts again to the left aspect of the filth. 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 discipline. The Padres referred to as up Nick Ahmed final weekend to work as a defensive specialist behind Bogaerts.
