Without Ha-Seong Kim, the Padres had to secure a Wild Card position. On August 18, while attempting a pickoff, the shortstop jammed his right shoulder crashing into first base. A few days later, the Padres put him on the injured list, diagnosing him with inflammation in his shoulder. At first, San Diego thought it would only be a temporary absence. Kim, on the other hand, has been absent for over five weeks and has no plans to return. On 97.3, manager Mike Shildt gave a depressing update on the Gwynn & Chris show. Tonight in San Diego, The Fan
Shildt remarked, “He just hasn’t been able to get over that hump with his throwing.” “He can hit the ball well; that’s not an issue, but he hasn’t been able to throw consistently with any momentum behind it. .. He’s not in a position where we can rely on him in the near future, but we’re still assessing the situation. “There is, and we may be getting there,” Shildt said in answer to a follow-up question on whether there is a deadline for Kim to return this season.
Even worse, Kim might need an offseason labrum repair, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (on X). That would be a severe blow upon his resumption of free will. His four-year contract’s guaranteed component is about to expire. Despite having fewer than six years of MLB experience, he is eligible for free agency, as is the case with most players who sign out of Korea or Japan. Kim has decided not to accept his $8MM mutual option for the upcoming season. He’ll get paid a $2 million buyout and go back on the market.
His case for a solid four-year contract is strong if he stays healthy. Kim has proven to be highly essential due to his ability to play excellent defence throughout the infield. He had a 22-27 record this season on the basepaths after stealing 38 bases the previous season. Although Kim lacks tremendous power, he has reached double digit home runs for three consecutive seasons. He rarely misses and draws a lot of walks.
Kim hit .233/.330/.370 over 470 plate appearances during the regular season. He carries a .250/.336/.385 slash since the start of 2022. As of a couple months ago, Kim’s durability had ironically been one of his biggest selling points. This is the first time in his four MLB campaigns that he has landed on the injured list.
It will take several more weeks to find out how Kim’s injury will affect her stock as a free agent. The Padres’ postseason infield is their primary area of attention right now. Xander Bogaerts has been sent back to the left side of the pitch by San Diego. I’ve shifted Jake Cronenworth to second base. Donovan Solano will now get some playing time at first base, while primary DH Luis Arraez will get some defensive reps. David Peralta will enter the lineup as a designated hitter while Arraez is in the field. Nick Ahmed was called up by the Padres last weekend to fill in for Bogaerts as a defensive specialist.
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