Padres News: Padres unsure of Ha-Seong Kim's return

Ha-Seong Kim's return to the San Diego Padres is uncertain as he continues to recover from right shoulder inflammation. Manager Mike Shildt indicated that Kim is not as close to returning as the team had hoped, leading to discussions about moving Xander Bogaerts back to shortstop.

“Yesterday was not necessarily a setback,” Shildt told MLB.com's A.J. Cassavell after the Padres’ 7-6 loss to the Giants on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park. “It just wasn’t a move forward. So we’re still in the evaluation process.”

Kim sustained his injury nearly three weeks ago while diving back to first base in Colorado. Initially, the Padres expected him to be back after the minimum 10-day injured list stint. However, as he began throwing again, he still felt discomfort.

During recent practice, Kim worked on fielding ground balls and increasing his throwing distance, but he has yet to regain full strength. His timeline for a return remains unclear, prompting the Padres to consider alternative options.

Mason McCoy has stepped in at shortstop, but his performance has been lackluster, with a batting average of just .204. This situation opens the door for Bogaerts, who has been performing well at second base but may need to shift back to shortstop. This would allow Jake Cronenworth to move to second base and Luis Arraez to take over at first, creating a potential platoon at designated hitter with David Peralta and Donovan Solano.

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The Padres are navigating a fluid roster situation, and while they have options, the team is still assessing the best course of action as they await Kim's recovery.