PHOENIX — After more than a month of unsuccessful attempts to rehab a right shoulder injury, San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim said Saturday he will undergo surgery to repair a “small tear” in his labrum. The procedure will officially end his season and, with Kim on the verge of free agency, perhaps his career in San Diego.
“I think I really tried everything up my sleeve to try to come back and help the team, but my body just wouldn’t listen to my mind,” Kim said through interpreter David Lee. “It’s really frustrating and disappointing because we have a legitimate chance in the postseason and I could’ve been part of it.”
Kim emerged as a Gold Glove Award winner and key regular for the Padres after signing a four-year, $28 million contract before the 2021 season. The former Korea Baseball Organization star was relatively durable for San Diego, too, until he hurt his shoulder Aug. 18 diving back to first base on a pickoff attempt.
Update from the Padres Clubhouse: Ha-Seong Kim exited today’s game with a jammed right shoulder.
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 18, 2024
Kim and the Padres initially did not believe the injury was serious. But Kim later learned of the tear in his shoulder, and while he continued to take swings without much trouble, he struggled to approach full intensity in a throwing progression. Kim experienced more pain while playing second base in a rehab game earlier this week, prompting him to opt for surgery and turn his focus to regaining full health in 2025.
“I didn’t have any previous injuries to my shoulder,” Kim, 28, said. “I know that a lot of players play fine with a small tear because their body adapts to it. So that’s why I was hoping I could maybe come back and help the team.”
Which team he will help next year remains to be seen. Despite the unfortunate timing of his upcoming surgery, Kim seems likely to decline his end of an $8 million mutual option, receive a $2 million buyout and enter free agency this winter as a middle infielder with sought-after versatility.
Asked if he thought he had potentially played his final game for the Padres, Kim said: “I haven’t been really able to focus on that. … All I can say is I think the San Diego Padres have a legitimate chance to win it all, and the fans have been wanting their World Series trophy for a long time. But anything can happen in the future, so we’ll see.
“Obviously, San Diego’s a huge part of me, because this is my fourth season with them, and along those four years we’ve fought to get that World Series trophy every year and made great memories. The team almost feels like family to me now, and I think we have a big chance to win the whole thing this year. And although I won’t be with the team on the field, I’ll be supporting them with all my heart throughout this ride in the fall.”
In Kim’s absence, veteran infielder Xander Bogaerts has made an occasionally bumpy transition back to being a starting shortstop. Bogaerts signed an 11-year, $280 million contract with the Padres in late 2022, spent 2023 at his natural position (while Kim won the National League Utility Gold Glove) and moved to second base this spring to accommodate Kim’s move back to shortstop.
Bogaerts’ recent return to short has opened up more playing time for infielder Donovan Solano, but he is a weaker defender than Kim, and the Padres will begin next week’s Wild Card Series at Petco Park with questions about their depth at the most important infield position. Other players capable of filling in at shortstop include Tyler Wade and Nick Ahmed, two players who joined the organization this year on minor-league deals. Ahmed, 34 and a two-time Gold Glover, was scheduled to make his Padres debut Saturday night at second base.
No matter his home in 2025, Kim will be remembered as a fan and clubhouse favorite, as well as a valuable performer. After struggling as a reserve in his first big-league season, Kim established himself as a multi-positional starter and supplied 10.5 FanGraphs WAR between 2022 and 2024. Last season, he became the first Asian-born infielder to win a Gold Glove.
“He’s a big part of what we’ve done this year,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “He’s got a lot of respect, rightfully so, from the clubhouse, from myself.”
