SEOUL, September 29 (Yonhap) The San Diego Padres have announced that South Korean shortstop Kim Ha-seong will have season-ending shoulder surgery, ruling him out of their postseason drive as well.
Kim told reporters before the Padres’ game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix on Saturday (local time) that he will have surgery on a “small tear” in the labrum in his right shoulder. On August 18, he received the injury while diving back to first base on a pickoff attempt against the Colorado Rockies.
Kim had been practicing for a few weeks but could not throw across the diamond with full strength.
“I really tried everything to come back and help the team,” Kim told MLB.com through interpreter David Lee. “But my body wouldn’t listen to my thoughts. So I believe my season is done. It’s extremely frustrating and sad because we had a realistic shot at the playoffs, and I could have been a part of it.”
Kim ended the fourth and final year of his four-year contract with the Padres with a batting line of.233/.330/.370, 11 home runs, 47 RBIs, and 22 steals in 121 games.
Last year, he earned the National League Gold Glove at utility, making history as the first Asian-born infielder to do it after playing second, shortstop, and third.
This season, he resumed his role as full-time shortstop, with former All-Star Xander Bogaerts going to second base. With Kim injured, the Padres returned Bogaerts to shortstop.
The Padres hoped that Kim would be able to return before the end of the regular season, or at least during the postseason. He was rehabilitating at the Padres’ spring training complex in Peoria, Arizona, when they won a postseason spot earlier this week, so he missed the celebration.
“Why I went to Arizona in the first place was because I thought I could maybe come back,” explained Kim. “I participated in a rehabilitation game. But the discomfort returned, so after several discussions, we decided to find out what the next step was, which led us to the decision to have surgery.”
Kim may have played his final game for the Padres. He does have a mutual option for 2025 worth $10 million, but he will most likely decline it because he can command a higher price on the free market over a longer term.
His original four-year contract paid him $28 million.
Kim stated he hadn’t considered how his injury might affect his possible free agency.
“I’m only really focused on getting this fixed and coming back healthy next season,” the 28-year-old stated.
After an All-Star career in the Korea Baseball Organization, Kim’s superb defence and all-out playing style made him a fan favourite in San Diego.
“Obviously, San Diego’s a huge part of me, because this is my fourth season with them,” Kim told me. “Throughout the four years, we contended for the World Series trophy every year and generated wonderful memories. The crew now feels like family to me. I believe we have a legitimate possibility of winning the whole thing this year. Although I will not be on the field with the team, I will be rooting for them wholeheartedly throughout this journey.”
Kim is the second South Korean Major League Baseball player to have a shoulder injury this season. In May, San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo, Kim’s former teammate in South Korea, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after colliding with the outfield wall.
This fall, no South Korean player will play in the major league postseason.
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