San Diego Padres' Kim Ha-seong hits an RBI double, allowing Jackson Merrill to score, in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in Boston, June 30. AP-Yonhap
The San Diego Padres have announced their Korean shortstop Kim Ha-seong will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, which will rule him out for their postseason push as well.
Before the Padres faced the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix on Saturday (local time), Kim told reporters that he will undergo an operation on a "small tear" in the labrum in his right shoulder. He sustained the injury on Aug. 18 in a dive back to first base on a pickoff attempt against the Colorado Rockies.
Kim had been practicing for a few weeks but had not been able to make throws across the diamond at full strength.
"I really tried everything to come back and help the team," Kim said through interpreter David Lee, according to MLB.com. "But my body just wouldn't listen to my mind. So I think, as of now, my season is over. It's really frustrating and disappointing, because we have a legitimate chance in the postseason, and I could have been part of it."
Kim finished his fourth and final year of his four-year deal with the Padres with a .233/.330/.370 batting line, along with 11 home runs, 47 RBIs and 22 steals in 121 games.
Last year, he won the National League Gold Glove at the utility position, becoming the first Asian-born infielder to win the top defensive prize after splitting his time at second base, shortstop and third base.
He returned to being the full-time shortstop this season, with former All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts moving to second base. With Kim sidelined, the Padres shifted Bogaerts back to shortstop.
The Padres held out hope that Kim would be able to return before the end of the regular season, or at least the postseason. He missed the Padres' celebration after they clinched a postseason spot earlier this week because he was rehabbing at the team's spring training complex in Peoria, Arizona.
"Why I went to Arizona in the first place was because I thought I could maybe come back," Kim said. "I played in a rehab game. But the pain came back, so after many conversations, we decided to find out what the next step is, and that's how we came to decide on surgery."
San Diego Padres' Kim Ha-seong hits a single in the fifth inning during an Opening Day game against the San Francisco Giants at PETCO Park in San Diego, Calif., March 28. AFP-Yonhap
Kim may have played his final game as a Padre. He does have a mutual option for 2025 worth $10 million, but he will likely decline that because he could command more money over a longer term on the open market.
His original four-year deal paid him $28 million.
Kim said he hadn't thought about how his injury might impact his potential free agency.
"I'm only really focused on getting this fixed and coming back healthy next season," the 28-year-old said.
After an All-Star career in the Korea Baseball Organization, Kim became a fan favorite in San Diego thanks to his excellent defense and all-out playing style.
"Obviously, San Diego's a huge part of me, because this is my fourth season with them," Kim said. "Along the four years, we fought to get the World Series trophy every year, made great memories. The team almost feels like family to me now. I think we have a legitimate chance to win the whole thing this year. Although I won't be with the team on the field, I will be supporting them with all my heart throughout this ride."
Kim is the second Korean player in Major League Baseball to suffer a shoulder injury this year. In May, San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo, a former teammate of Kim's in Korea, also sustained a season-ending shoulder injury after crashing into the outfield wall.
There will be no Korean player in the big-league postseason this fall. (Yonhap)