While the Tampa Bay Rays haven't been able to maintain their excellent form from earlier this season, the team is still in the hunt for a postseason spot. They are six and a half games out from the final AL Wild Card spot, currently held by the Seattle Mariners. Tampa Bay's division rivals, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, hold the top two Wild Card slots. As the Rays continue to chase down this unlikely playoff berth, team beat reporter Ryan Bass provided an injury update on shortstop Ha-Seong Kim via X (formerly Twitter).
“#Rays SS Ha-Seong Kim took infield ground balls today and looked comfortable after treatment for back inflammation,” reported Bass on Wednesday. “Kevin Cash said he's in a better spot and they're ‘happy with the progression'. He's eligible to come off the IL in Washington.”
If Kim does indeed come off the IL in Washington, then the Rays will have yet another contributor back for the postseason push. Shortstop Carson Williams, one of the team's top prospects, was promoted a few days ago. Kim has only been on the IL for a short time, and the main question is, will the team demote Williams back to Triple-A? If so, would the Rays be shooting themselves in the foot at a time where all hands on deck will be needed. Can the Rays give enough time at shortstop to Kim and Williams in order to maximize their chances during their latest push?
Who will start at shortstop for Rays over the next few weeks?
Kim's tenure with the Rays has been marred by injury. Manager Kevin Cash used defensive specialist Taylor Walls and the versatile Jose Caballero helped fill the void for most of that time. However, the Rays traded Caballero to the Yankees before the deadline, and now, Walls is also on the IL. So, when Kim went down this time, it was Williams who got the call.
It's safe to say that the hope is Williams will be the team's long-term shortstop. Third baseman Junior Caminero has had one of the best offensive seasons in Tampa Bay history, and he's only a rookie. The sky is the limit for Caminero, and many believe that Williams will join him there. Will Cash elect to go with Kim for the potential veteran stability? Or will the Rays go all-in on their playoff push by handing the starting shortstop reins to Williams?
