San Diego Padres' Ha-Seong Kim Lands on Injured List With Shoulder Inflammation

Ha-Seong Kim jammed his shoulder Sunday against the Colorado Rockies, and now the San Diego Padres shortstop will spend at least the next 10 days on the injured list.

Aug 18, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (7) leaves the game after an injury in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Padres have placed shortstop Ha-Seong Kim on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, retroactive to Aug. 19, the team announced Tuesday evening.

Kim jammed his shoulder against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, leaving the game in the third inning. The 28-year-old underwent an MRI and was held out of the lineup against the Minnesota Twins on Monday.

Shortly after the Padres revealed their lineup for Tuesday's game against the Twins, once again leaving out Kim, the team officially shelved their Gold Glove infielder.

San Diego recalled infielder Matthew Batten from Triple-A El Paso to take over Kim's spot on the active roster. Batten, 29, has been in the Padres' farm system since the 2017 MLB Draft, but he has only appeared in 59 big league contests with the club.

We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/mPuhxGLmn8

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 20, 2024

Kim, on the other hand, has been a mainstay in San Diego's lineup over the past few years. He appeared in 150 games in 2022, then 152 in 2023.

Prior to suffering his recent shoulder injury, Kim had appeared in 121 of the Padres' first 125 games this year. If he returns as soon as he becomes eligible on Aug. 29, he can still play in 148 games before the end of the regular season.

Kim is batting .233 with 11 home runs, 47 RBI, 22 stolen bases, a .700 OPS and a 2.9 WAR so far in 2024. Last season, the Korean-born infielder hit .260 with 17 home runs, 60 RBI, 38 stolen bases, a .749 OPS and a 5.8 WAR, winning a Gold Glove and finishing 14th in NL MVP voting.

For the second night in a row, Tyler Wade is starting at shortstop in Kim's place. It remains to be seen if he can hold onto that job, or if Batten was brought in to seriously compete for the gig.

Third baseman Manny Machado and second baseman Xander Bogaerts were initially shortstops by trade as well, while first baseman Luis Arraez was previously a second baseman.

Manager Mike Shildt and the Padres' front office are running out of time to work things out in the infield, with less than six weeks remaining in the 2024 regular season. A resurgent summer has San Diego sitting just 3.0 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, in addition to holding the top NL Wild Card spot, but the race is far from over.

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