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Despite losing two of three games to the Colorado Rockies over the weekend, the San Diego Padres (71-55) are still tied for the MLB's best record in August at 12-4. They trail the Los Angeles Dodgers by only three games and are eagerly vying for their first divisional title since 2006. More important than winning the National League West, however, is finally delivering the city its first World Series championship.
Achieving that ultimate goal becomes quite difficult to fathom if the team's defensive anchor is out of action. With the big picture in mind, the Padres are placing shortstop Ha-Seong Kim on the 10-day injured list, per MLB.com's AJ Cassavell.
The 2023 Gold Glover suffered shoulder inflammation after sliding back to first base on a pick-off attempt in Sunday's road loss to the Rockies. He was in obvious pain and rushed over to the clubhouse in frustration. Kim missed Monday's 5-3 win versus the Minnesota Twins, with Tyler Wade manning short in his place. Nevertheless, he was hoping to return to the lineup this week.
The South Korea native understands why San Diego is opting to be cautious, though. His short-term absence could pay long-term dividends.
“To be honest, initially I thought I would be able to come back within five days but after talking to the training staff, the manager and the front office, I was told that maybe the 10-day {IL stint} would be the better decision considering the fact that we are in the postseason wild card race, and as a team, {we} have the goal of reaching the World Series,” Kim said through his translator, via 97.3 The Fan. “So, in order to come back to my fullest 100 percent, I think this makes sense to me.”
Ha-Seong Kim was asked if he understood going on the IL to heal considering the bigger picture with the Padres being in the playoff hunt: pic.twitter.com/jjY7B9CTsv
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) August 20, 2024
Padres play it safe as regular season nears its final stretch
Grit and guts reign supreme in October, but practicality carries significant weight in August. A shoulder injury can linger and render Kim ineffective when the Padres need him most. He is already enduring a lackluster offensive campaign, posting just a .233 batting average, .700 OPS and 11 home runs through 403 at-bats. Pushing the 28-year-old to fight through any discomfort could turn him into a liability, potentially on defense as well.
Kim, like the Padres as a whole, is hitting his stride this month (batting .275 with four stolen bases in August), so the timing of this setback is terribly unfortunate. But San Diego has the talent to maintain favorable standing in the NL until he returns. A seven-game homestand, which started Monday, definitely helps, too.
While few teams should feel truly comfortable at this time of the year, the Padres have given themselves a decent cushion to sit upon for a bit. They currently occupy the top NL Wild Card slot and are four games clear of the danger zone.
Though, clinching a series victory versus the Twins on Tuesday night would allow fans to rest a little easier following the Ha-Seong Kim injury news.
