“It’s not as close as we’d like it to be.”
Only a few days ago, he expressed positive outlook on the return of Kim Ha-sung (30), but the situation has changed rapidly in the meantime. San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt (56) expressed negative views on the timing of Kim Ha-sung’s return.
MLB.COM, the official website of the Major League Baseball (MLB), posted an article titled “Kim Ha-sung’s return is suddenly in crisis.”
Shildt’s remarks were made in the background. When asked about Kim Ha-sung’s return from rehabilitation after suffering a shoulder injury, he mentioned Xander Bogaerts, who was San Diego’s shortstop last year.
Kim Ha-sung started in an away game against the Colorado Rockies on the 19th of last month, hit left-handed, and complained of pain in his adult shoulder in the process of returning to first base on the opposing pitcher’s check ball.
Kim Ha-sung, who said in an interview with local reporters at the time, “I don’t feel very good,” was diagnosed with shoulder inflammation two days later and was finally listed on the injured list (IL) for the first time since entering the big league. 먹튀검증
Kim Ha-sung, who has devoted himself to recovery and rehabilitation since then, has joined the team’s training and even completed throwing drills following hitting, making him predict his return. “Now we have a situation where we can discuss the possibility of playing in the game. I will make a final decision now,” Shildt said ahead of the match on Sunday. ” (Kim Ha-sung) is nearing his return. I have entered the batter’s box a lot, and I am also throwing across the infield.”
Things drastically changed over the past few days, however. He seems to have experienced a recurrence of discomfort in his shoulder in the process of increasing the throwing distance. “Before the game on Saturday, Kim Ha-sung made efforts to deal with ground balls as shortstop and increase the throwing distance,” SI said. “However, he still had difficulty throwing to his full capacity. It is uncertain whether he will return to the mound within this season, and the San Diego Padres are preparing backup options.”
Mason McCoy is filling in for Kim Ha-sung’s position, but it is not enough to be satisfied. Although he maintains his defense, he has not been able to contribute much to the batting average of 0.204 and OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.523.
In the end, there is a possibility that Bogaerts will return to the team. Bogaerts, who wore a San Diego uniform for 11 years and 280 million dollars (375.7 billion won) after the 2022 season, played shortstop last year. Kim Ha-sung, who was ranked third in the National League Gold Glove as a key shortstop in 2022, gave up his seat and worked as a utility player around third and shortstop, winning the NL Utility Gold Glove last year.
Ahead of this season, Shildt brought Kim Ha-sung back to shortstop. It was one of the ways to maximize San Diego’s defense capabilities when looking up high. Bogaerts moved to second base.
However, as Kim Ha-sung’s return to injury was delayed than expected, chances are high that he will bring up the Bogaerts shortstop card again. In this case, chances are high that Jake Cronenworth will play from first base to second, and Luis Arraez will play as first baseman, not designated hitter. Donovan Solano could also play as first baseman.
Coach Shildt said, “Everything is flexible now,” but added, “The good thing is that we have a choice.”
Bogaerts also expressed a positive view on his return to shortstop. The reason is that Solano, who is good at hitting, will be more utilized. “It’s really annoying when Solano is out of the lineup. I was having a great year until I couldn’t play every day,” he said. “I talked about some things. It would be nice if I could bring Solano back to shortstop.”