"Unfungible Kim Ha-sung, there is no return in the near future." U.S. Media's Successive Negative Prospects, Visible Return to Bogaerts Shortstop

Sep 11, 2024

San Diego Padres Kim Ha-sung's return seems to be prolonged indefinitely. AFP Yonhap News

San Diego second baseman Xander Bogaerts is expected to return to shortstop. AFP Yonhap News

Negative prospects continue over the return of San Diego Padres Kim Ha-sung, who has rarely been able to get rid of the aftereffects of his shoulder injury.

Kim Ha-sung injured his right shoulder while sliding to first base in a hurry to check his opponent after hitting in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver on the 19th of last month. The MRI showed no structural abnormalities in the bones or ligaments, but the club should put him on the injured list for a perfect recoveryHe was listed on the IL for the first time since his major league debut.

Because it was a 10-day IL, Kim Ha-sung was able to return on August 30. However, it seems that he has entered rehabilitation indefinitely as his shoulder pain has not gone away since then.

Kim Ha-sung has no problem with hitting and ground ball defense, but throwing from shortstop to first base is still inconvenient. San Diego coach Mike Shildt said in a briefing with local media on the 9th (Korea time), `Kim Ha-sung did not come to the level we wanted. I can't say it got worse until yesterday, but it didn't get better either. It is still a situation where the condition needs to be evaluated."

Last week, Kim Ha-sung joined the big league squad after staying at the Arizona spring training camp to perform batting and defensive training. It has already been 22 days since the IL registration.

As the situation has not improved, local media are also raising concerns.

Kim Ha-sung is being replaced after injuring his shoulder in the third inning against Colorado on the 19th of last month (Korea time). AFP Yonhap News

MLB.com said that Kim Ha-sung's condition was not good enough to return from a shoulder injury. Because of this, changes in the Padres infield became inevitable. Xander Bogaerts, who moved to second base this year, is showing signs of returning to shortstop' It is unclear where Kim Ha-sung, who has not shown 100% of his pitching power, is in relation to his return within this season. The Padres are preparing for a contingency.

In the worst case, Kim Ha-sung may find it difficult to return within the regular season. For this reason, a scenario is being considered to return second baseman Xander Bogaerts to shortstop.

Sports Illustrated (SI) said on the 11th that the Padres' right shoulder sprain delayed Kim Ha-sung's return, forcing a change in shortstop position. The former shortstop (Bogartz) will have no choice but to return to his original position.

San Diego fan media Frias also said that there is confusion in the Padres' infield because Kim Ha-sung's defense is irreplaceable. He is certainly in the process of recovery, but he is unlikely to join the Padres lineup in the near future. In particular, Bogaerts' return to shortstop is coming out, he said negatively.

Before the injury, Kim Ha-sung played in 121 games this season and marked a batting average of 0.233 (94 hits in 403 times at bat), 11 homers, 47 RBIs, 60 points, 22 steals, and an OPS of 0.700. If the season ends like this, it will be frustrated to achieve three consecutive at-bats and three-digit hits.

jhno@sportschosun.com