On August 18, Padres’ infielder Ha-Seong Kim injured his throwing shoulder while sliding back to first base during a game against the Rockies. Just two days later, he was placed on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.
According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Kim underwent an MRI in San Diego on Monday and is expected to join the Padres in St. Louis for their series against the Cardinals, even though he remains on the injured list. The results of the MRI will determine his recovery timeline.
While the team doesn’t anticipate Kim’s injury to be long-term, they’ve opted to be cautious given the approaching postseason, avoiding rushing him back into play.
Before his injury, Kim was in excellent form, hitting .409/.458/.636 over his last seven games. He has started 119 games at shortstop this season, the most of any player on the team. His absence will be felt given his key role both defensively and offensively.
In Kim’s absence, the Padres have turned to Tyler Wade and Mason McCoy to fill the shortstop position. Wade initially stepped in during the series against the Twins and had previously made six starts this season. However, he struggled at the plate during that stretch, with no hits in nine plate appearances.
On August 21, the Padres promoted McCoy from Triple-A El Paso. This marks McCoy’s second major league stint, having previously played six games for the Blue Jays last season. At 29, McCoy has made six appearances and five starts for the Padres this season, with a .294/.400/.294 slash line, three runs, and five hits in 17 plate appearances. He also notched his first MLB RBI on August 22 against the Mets.
Kim’s eventual return could lead to McCoy being sent back to the minors, but he has proven valuable in the midst of a tight division and Wild Card race.