“Kim Ha-sung says there’s a possibility that he’ll come back later this month”
San Diego Padres Xander Bogaerts started as shortstop and sixth batter in the 2024 Major League Seattle Mariners home showdown at Petco Park in San Diego, California on the 11th (Korea time) and recorded no hits in four at-bats.
Bogaerts received a lot of attention on the day when he played shortstop. Since his debut with the Boston Red Sox in 2013, Bogaerts has played in 1264 games over 10 seasons with 1,410 hits, 156 home runs, 683 RBIs, 752 runs, 74 steals, a batting average of 0.292 OPS of 0.814 and became the first free agent in his career after the 2022 season. Then, an unexpected contract was made. Despite having two main shortstop including Kim Ha-sung, Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego moved.
The biggest advantage of Bogaerts is that it has the power to send a ball out of the fence at any time and can produce an OPS of 0.800 or higher every year, but it was not an attractive card for San Diego, which already has two shortstop players who can be used as main players. Nevertheless, San Diego gave Bogaerts a whopping $290 million (about 388.3 billion won) contract for 11 years. The fact that San Diego will recruit shortstop resources was a completely unexpected move even in the U.S. local media.
With Bogaerts finding a new home, San Diego has made numerous changes. San Diego has made the choice to let Bogaerts take over the shortstop once it has invested a lot. And it moved Kim Ha-sung, who was the finalist for the Gold Glove in the National League’s shortstop division, to second base, sending Jake Cronenworth, who was the starting second baseman. And Tatis Jr., who was on the wrist surgery table and was scheduled to return after being disciplined for taking banned substances, was sent to the outfield.
However, this choice led to the worst result. Bogaerts played in 155 games last year and recorded a batting average of 0.285 OPS of 0.790, with 170 hits, 19 home runs, 58 RBIs, 83 runs, and 19 steals. It was the first time in six years since the 2017 season that Bogaerts’ OPS fell below 0.800, and his defense was also below that of Kim Ha-sung. It is not possible to evaluate the success of recruiting FA in just one season, but it was a complete failure to recruit Bogaerts and take over the main shortstop in the 2023 season.
As a result, San Diego has changed again. Kim Ha-sung, who won the Gold Glove award in the “utility” category after transforming into a second baseman last year, has decided to take charge of the shortstop again. He intends to make the most of the value of Kim Ha-sung, who has good defense capability. Moreover, although he has no experience as a second baseman, he sought to ease Bogaerts’ burden on defense and rebound from his offense. Bogaerts showed affection and pride in shortstop when he wore the San Diego Padres uniform, but accepted San Diego’s decision without difficulty as he suffered disappointment last year.
Kim Ha-sung, who returned to shortstop ahead of the FA, played 121 games this year, recording 94 hits, 11 homers, 47 RBIs, 60 runs, 22 steals, a batting average of 0.233 OPS of 0.700, but he encountered unexpected variables in the game against the Colorado Rockies on the 19th of last month. He was injured while returning to first base through headfirst sliding on the check ball. At that time, Kim Ha-sung complained of severe pain to the point of swearing and throwing his helmet, but fortunately, no major problems were found in the MRI examination.
Kim Ha-sung did not initially move to the injured list (IL), but coach Shildt moved the injured list on the 10th so that Kim Ha-sung could focus only on recovery. At the time, the head coach explained, “There is no need to hurry,” and Kim Ha-sung also accepted the injured list. However, Kim Ha-sung’s return is later than expected. Initially, it seemed that he would be able to return if the entry was expanded in early September, but he still has discomfort in his shoulders. According to “MLB.com ” on the 9th, when asked about the timing of Kim Ha-sung’s return, Shildt said, “We are not as close as we want.”
“MLB.com ” also added, “This news could cause a tectonic change in the San Diego infield, and there is a possibility that Xander Bogaerts, who moved to second base this year, will return to his original position.” San Diego was initially optimistic that Kim Ha-sung would be able to return after taking a 10-day break. However, although Kim Ha-sung attempted to increase the number of throws, he continues to feel discomfort in his shoulders. He failed to throw 100%. The possibility of Kim Ha-sung’s return to the ground this season is unclear,” signaling that Bogaerts could return to shortstop sometime this season, and Plan B became a reality on the 11th.
The San Diego Union-Tribune said on the 11th, “Xander Bogaerts returned to shortstop while San Diego tried to improve its offense,” adding, “It came as I realized that Kim Ha-sung needed at least a week, maybe more time, to return to his shoulder injury.” As Bogaerts returned to shortstop, Jake Cronenworth, who was in charge of first baseman, returned to second base, his “main position,” and San Diego deployed Donovan Solano to first base. 안전놀이터
Kim Ha-sung’s departure provided an opportunity for someone. That player is Solano. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Solano started 50 of 88 games and posted a batting average of 0.309 OPS of 0.787 from May 7 to June 19. However, after Kim Ha-sung’s departure due to injury, he started five of 20 games and posted a batting average of 0.138 OPS of 0.484. However, as Kim Ha-sung’s departure was prolonged and Bogaerts moved his position, he had a chance.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Solano said, “The absence of Kim Ha-sung is a new opportunity for me. All the players are trying to win now. I’m looking for the best way to win. I’m satisfied with that and I’ll do my best for the team.” And Bogaerts also expressed strong confidence, saying, “My arms are pretty good now, so I think I can defend well. It would have been impossible if it was a few weeks ago.”
Fortunately, Kim Ha-sung, who was even talking about the season out, is expected to be able to return before the end of the regular season schedule. “San Diego did not reveal the exact injury of Kim Ha-sung,” the “San Diego Union-Tribune” said. “We initially expected him to return within two to three weeks, but at first, there were opinions that it would take six weeks,” he added. “Team officials say Kim Ha-sung may return later this month.”