Ha-Seong Kim will have to undergo shoulder surgery at the end of the season

Padres manager Mike Shildt told reporters (including AJ Cassavell of MLB.com) this shortstop this evening Ha Seong KimThe season is over. Kim later told reporters (including Cassavell) that he would have to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. The shortstop has been on the IL for over a month due to inflammation in his shoulder, and Shildt revealed yesterday that Kim may ultimately have to go under the knife to repair the labrum in his shoulder.

It's a major blow for a Padres club that has relied heavily on the 28-year-old since he had a breakout season in 2022. This year, Kim stepped in to replace the troubled star Fernando Tatis Jr. at shortstop amid a lost season caused by off-field injuries and a PED suspension. He excelled in that role, hitting .251/.325/.383 (105 wRC+) in 150 games while playing strong defense at shortstop. Kim was pushed back to second base with the addition of Xander Bogaerts Last year, however, he took another step forward with the bat while adeptly defending not only across the keystone but also at shortstop and third base when needed.

Last year, Kim hit .260/.351/.398 with a wRC+ of 110 while making 38 sacks in 47 attempts. This total package was enough to earn Kim his first career Gold Glove Award and even some downballot MVP votes. After that strong season and a defensively weak season from Bogaerts, the Padres decided to trade the two new additions this year to move Kim back to shortstop. That seemingly set him up for his third straight career year, but things didn't quite work out that way as the infielder took a small step back to the plate. In 121 games for the Padres this year, Kim posted a wRC+ of 101 and stole 22 bases in 27 attempts. This offseason was made worse by his shoulder problems, which prevented him from participating in the stretch run and has now left him out of San Diego's postseason plans entirely.

Looking ahead to the Padres' future, it seems likely that the club will now stick with Bogaerts at shortstop in the postseason, as they have done since moving him back to that position earlier this month in response to Kim's injury. It's been a poor season overall for Bogaerts, as he's been limited to just 110 games so far due to injuries and posted a 94 wRC+, which is his worst since 2014, but he's managed to turn things around since Returned from the injured list in July with a solid performance, posting a .295/.336/.430 slash line over 259 plate appearances, good for a 116 wRC+. That opened up second base for regular starts Jake Cronenworthso that the first basis for a timeshare remains free in between Donovan Solano And Luis ArraezThe latter also plays a role in the club's DH mix David Peralta On days he doesn't play first base.

As for Kim himself, the shortstop will now head into free agency facing a new level of uncertainty. While he remains all but certain to decline his $8 million option for next season in favor of a $2 million buyout, it's possible that teams will opt out due to concerns about the Way could be more hesitant to offer the versatile infielder a bigger, multi-year deal this winter. His shoulder problems could impact him on both sides of the ball down the road. Kim seemed likely to be considered a top infield option in free agency this winter Alex Bregman And Willy Adamesso it's easy to imagine him receiving an important commission. However, between his poor 2024 season and his upcoming surgery, Kim's future seems a little bleaker than it did just a few days ago.