Star player may not be ready for postseason

The San Diego Padres have officially clinched the top Wild Card spot after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3 yesterday.

Now the Padres are ready to move on and bid for the first World Series in the organization's history.

Unfortunately, they could be without one of their best players.

According to a report from 97.3 The Fan on X, shortstop Ha-Seong Kim may not be ready for the playoffs right now.

“(Manager) Mike Shildt tells Gwynn & Chris that Ha-Seong Kim hasn't gotten over the hump with his throwing,” said 92.3 The Fan. “Shildt says hitting isn't a problem, but right now Kim is NOT in the team can count on him in the near future.”

Shildt elaborated on this during his appearance on The Gwynn & Chris Show, noting that Kim hasn't been able to “get over the hump.”

“He just couldn’t get over that hump with his throws,” Shildt said. “Hitting is not a problem, that part is good, but he wasn't able to throw consistently when there was something behind him. … We're still evaluating what's going to happen, but right now he's not in a position where we can count on him in the near future.”

Additionally, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Kim played in minor league games but “continued to have problems throwing.”

“The Padres are not ruling out a return at some point in the postseason, but there remains the possibility of offseason surgery to repair damage to his labrum,” Acee said.

Kim began his career in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) when he was drafted by the Nexen Heroes (now Kiwoom Heroes) with the 41st overall pick in 2014.

In seven seasons with the Heroes, Kim posted a .292 batting average with 133 home runs and 575 RBI. He received three KBO Golden Glove Awards from 2018 to 2020.

Kim signed with the Padres on December 31, 2020 and made his major league debut on April 1, 2021. He had an outstanding season in 2023, maintaining a .260 batting average with 17 home runs and 60 RBI. He won the Golden Glove Award for his play.

This season, Kim has proven to be an outstanding defensive player and an effective hitter. He maintained a .233 batting average with 11 home runs and 47 RBI. Unfortunately, his season ended prematurely when he injured his shoulder in the game against the Colorado Rockies on August 18th.

Hopefully Kim is able to recover and come back in time for some of the playoffs.

Other Padres: San Diego Shuffle Rotation for Postseason; Who starts game 1?