Kim Ha-sung (29, San Diego Padres), who recently complained of triceps pain, was absent for two consecutive days.
San Diego excluded Kim Ha-sung from the starting lineup for the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on the 8th (Korea time).
On the day, the San Diego Padres had Luis Arraez (designated hitter), Xander Bogaerts (second baseman), Manny Machado (third baseman), Donovan Solano (first baseman), Jackson Merrill (center fielder), Kyle Higashioka (catcher), Bryce Johnson (right fielder), and Tyler Wade (striker). The starting pitcher is Michael King.
Kim Ha-sung waited on the bench for two consecutive days. This is because of the triceps pain that began on the 6th, which was his day off. The Major League’s official website MLB.com said on the previous day that “Kim Ha-sung sensed pain on the 6th, which was his day off, and continued to feel it when he was swinging in the batting cage,” adding, “It is unclear when Kim Ha-sung will return to San Diego. If Kim Ha-sung’s injury continues, Xander Bogaerts could be placed at shortstop, Jake Cronenworth at second base, Luis Arraez and Donovan Solano could be placed at first base.”
Some say it is a foreseen injury. It is also a concern in the U.S., as the objective indicator is clearly showing a downward trend. “Kim Ha-sung might have been better off taking a day off regardless of his health,” U.S. media Sports Illustrated said on Sunday. “He recently recorded 0 hits and 2 walks in 16 at-bats against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies. His last hit came in a game against the Baltimore Orioles on July 29. “Kim Ha-sung has not hit a home run since the game against the Milwaukee Brewers on June 23. He added that his slugging percentage fell from 0.390 to 0.357 during the period.
Fielders from the KBO League have difficulty adapting to the sport when they move to the Major League due to physical stamina. Unlike Korea, which plays 144 games a year in 10 stadiums within a six-hour maximum range, the MLB basically has to play 162 games a year in 30 stadiums in the U.S., which requires moving by plane.
Moreover, it goes without saying that the main infielder who moves from place to place while mainly playing shortstop who is burdened with defense and physical strength like Kim Ha-sung. Kim Ha-sung had been holding out well. Due to the injury of Fernando Tatis Jr. in 2022, he became the main shortstop and played 1,263 ⅓ (1,092 ⅓ for shortstop and 171 innings for third baseman).
Last year, he became a core player of his team and played a total of 1,263 ⅓ innings, including 856 ⅔ innings for second baseman, 253 ⅓ innings for third baseman, and 153 ⅓ for shortstop, winning the Gold Glove utility category of the National League. However, he clearly felt his limitations. He boasted his batting average of 0.337 (30 hits in 89 at-bats) with five homers and 1,000 on-base plus slugging percentage) in 24 games in July last year, but his pace dropped significantly as he entered the second half of this year. His batting average sank to 0.273 in August and 0.184 in September, and he ended the 2023 season with a batting average of 0.260 in 152 games, 17 homers, 60 RBIs, 84 runs and 38 steals in the OPS, while failing to hit the expected 20 homers.
Kim has become more dependent on defense this year. Before his injury, he played 111 games as a shortstop in 114 games this season. Among them, he played full-time in 107 games and played 967 ⅓ innings, and is poised to break last year’s record.
Over the past two years, his physical stamina has been at the top of the list even in the Major League. Kim has played 2,231 innings in the past two years, the 16th in the Major League and the seventh-most among shortstop in the entire period.
As a result, the team struggled to keep up with fastballs even in hitting. The batting average of 0.223 (83 hits in 373 times at bat) in 111 games was the worst since 2022, when he became the starting pitcher with 10 homers, 44 RBIs, 57 runs and 20 steals, and an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of 0.357 OPS of 0.679.
The reason why Kim Ha-sung attracted attention as a net FA last winter was his utility ability to play all infield positions and his physical strength that endured the difficulties during 2022-2023. However, Kim Ha-sung’s worries are deepening as he reveals his limitations in his third full-time year ahead of the Major League FA. 토토사이트