Ha-Seong Kim suffered what Padres manager Bob Melvin described as a “jammed shoulder” that led to an early exit from today’s game against the Rangers. Kim suffered the injury while diving to score a run in the third inning, and partially colliding with Texas catcher Sam Huff while trying to reach and touch the plate. The good news is that tests revealed no structural damage, and Kim expressed hope that he might be able to play as early as Monday when the Padres start the series in Denver with the Rockies.
Only nine players have a better fWAR than Kim’s 3.7 total, as his bat (.279/.374/.447 with 14 homers and 21 steals in 391 plate appearances, for a 130 wRC+) and excellent defense (primarily as a second baseman but also at third base and shortstop) have somewhat quietly made him one of the better overall performers in baseball this season. Even if he misses a game or two, Kim’s presence is key to a team that might still be the biggest unknowns as the trade deadline approaches. The Padres are 52-54 and are five games out of a wild card spot, with three other non-playoff teams still ahead of San Diego in the standings. The Padres are known to be at least listening to trade offers for some of their top names, but The Athletic’s Dennis Lin and Ken Rosenthal write that their “asking prices for both [Blake] Snell and [Josh] Hader…have been exorbitant.” It seems increasingly likely that San Diego might wait until almost the last minute before deciding whether to sell, buy, or (the most probable course) a combination of both tactics.
More from around the NL West…
- J.D. Martinez will undergo an MRI to determine the nature of his nagging left hamstring problem, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including MLB.com’s Juan Toribio). The veteran slugger has been bothered by the injury for almost a week, and tests should determine whether an IL stint might be necessary. Martinez missed close to three weeks due to back problems earlier this season, but it has otherwise been a strong year for the 35-year-old, who reached the All-Star Game and is hitting .260/.310/.562 with 25 homers over 365 PA.
- The Dodgers got another injury scare Sunday when Will Smith had to leave the game after being hit in the elbow by a Graham Ashcraft pitch. Smith remained in the game for three more innings after being hit and x-rays were negative, so the catcher is considered day-to-day and might be able to return as early as the Dodgers’ next game on Tuesday. Another Los Angeles All-Star, Smith has continued to be one of the game’s best catchers, entering today’s action with a 137 wRC+ (from 13 homers and a .279/.386/.474 slash line in 347 PA).
- The Giants placed Anthony DeSclafani on the 15-day injured list earlier today due to a right elbow flexor strain, with Tristan Beck recalled from Triple-A in the corresponding move. Manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle) that DeSclafani will miss “several weeks” with the injury, which at least creates some question as to whether or not DeSclafani might have thrown his last pitch of the 2023 season. An MRI revealed a grade 1 strain after DeSclafani reported some forearm discomfort during a bullpen session. DeSclafani’s injury might end whatever chance there was that the Giants might deal from their starting pitching depth, and it’s even possible San Francisco might look to add an arm before the deadline. Beck, Sean Manaea, or Jakob Junis could all be candidates to replace DeSclafani in the rotation or as bulk pitchers (behind an opener).
- Sticking with the Giants, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports that San Francisco had interest in both Amed Rosario and Enrique Hernandez before the Dodgers landed both players in respective trades with the Guardians and Red Sox. With Brandon Crawford back from the injured list and Thairo Estrada also back soon, the Giants may no longer have quite as pressing a need for infield help, though Rosenthal feels the Giants could still trade from their pitching depth to address another need.
The Dodgers will breathe a sigh of relief if Smith is back quickly – pressing Barnes into everyday action is a scary thought
Maybe aquire a delph Catcher.
That’s better than a Daft Catcher
to accommodate the Blue Delft pitcher, plates, cups and other dinnerware
Aloha folks, that is tough for Kim and the Padres, he is having a nice season. I hope he heals quickly and comes back soon.
As for the Giants, tell Zaidi to wow Jed for Stroman! LOL! Seriously though, Marcus could help SF in their pennant or WC race. Mahalo
Aloha King Kim. Btw what island you at?
Physically they could certainly use Stroman.
I think Stroman’s reputation as a sometime head case precedes him.
Yep!
I don’t think Cubs are selling. Giants need offense more than pitchers.
Nice season he’s probably there best player minus that cheat tatis
Here’s my shock trade prediction. Snell/Hader to the Dodgers
I don’t think they Padres will trade with the Dodgers. No way they want those two coming back to haunt them in that rivalry.
Not a snowballs chance in H-E-double hockey sticks.
desclafani getting injured is a net positive, it’s tristan beck time
Maybe LA gets desperate and SD can get them to overpay?
Yea, I don’t see the Padres ever helping the Doyers out in any way! That would be the worst trade made to a divisional rival ever!
Preller would be lynched from the flagpole at Petco Park.
@SanDiegoSuperPadres: Well, I think the Boston Red Sox selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees might be just a little worse historically than anything the Padres could give the Dodgers.
Desclafani, when he’s on, is Cy Young caliber. Otherwise though, geesh! It’s too bad Kapler doesn’t show enough faith in Beck to let him start. Or Hjelle, or any other sp prospects, other than Winn, out of necessity.
Harrison will be pitching out of the bullpen by the end of August probably.
@firefarhan… I ageee with your username but not with your takes. Tony D is toast. His arm fatigue is now the norm instead of the exception. Beck is a serviceable 5th guy, perhaps a little better, but his peripherals do not portend all star level stuff. Still.. he’s valuable to a team that is carrying too many pitchers. Hjelle is also very unlikely to become anything more than fodder. Not much prospect shine on either. They should be targeting a Keller or Cease. But they won’t
We can disagree about Desclafani, that’s ok. I agree that Junis is expendable, but I think Wood should stay and just needs to start every 5th day, to keep in rhythm
Possible that sorts Wood out, but I think they can use him combined with someone else to a pitcher needy team and get an upgrade. Perhaps package him with Bart or Ramos and get another intriguing flame thrower for the back end of the pen.
Bart’s another guy we shouldn’t give up yet. Bailey has hit a wall offensively and if he gets hurt we’re screwed at the position, if we trade Bart
Ramos I still have hope for too, but I realize to buy, you gotta give up something
Sure, I don’t think either one is toast, far from it I believe they both can be useful, which is why they have value in a trade. And they have Genoves at aaa and can add a vet catcher if need be, they’re always available. I believe Bailey will improve a bit on his hitting but isn’t likely to be much more than average with the bat. His defense is so good though it doesn’t matter much IF they add a couple of impact bats elsewhere. I don’t see any dynamic hitters on this team right now, hoping Luciano just hits the ground running though.
Giants should continue using bullpen games 3 out of the every 5 games. It gives our bulk inning pitchers a matchup edge and the team is winning those games.
You are correct ForeverGiants, 14-4 in games with an opener then bulk guy. It’s working!
Bailey committed more errors than any other MLB catcher in just 3/4 of a season. He’s not that great defensively
Hjelle has had his chances and frankly was a gas can
It’s to soon to give up on Hjelle
Harrison is injured. I hope they don’t bring him up until he’s ready.
It definitely is. Now…Beck is likely only a league average arm, but he’s young and healthy. League average is just fine considering what they have been getting. Now if only they can dump Junis and wood on someone to open up a path for promotion. They have to clear another 40 spot or so and subtract from that mlb pitching staff. I don’t trust farhan not to do something ridiculously stupid like sending down walker or beck (cause they have options) just to add Brebbia back.
league average is fine by me
hopefully we get some sucker to take on junis and wood
Yea league average is fine. Beck will work, and saves them money as well which we know is very very important to farhan.
I think someone will need guys who can give them innings. Same way the dodgers were able to get something for syndergard
Another example of Farhan waiting until the last second, screwing over the Giants.
As a Giants fan I doubt we should expect anything flashier than DeJong, at the MOST. If anything/anyone at all.
Please no. Dejong and al the other names they’ve been attached to are nothing burgers. Literally not improvements on anything they have. They set their sights so low it’s depressing. They have won much more than could be expected based on advanced stats or even non advanced stats like Pythagorean record and all that. The regression will come during the brutal month of August. They should target Goldy or even go nuts and blow away the pale sox for Luis Robert. But they won’t
@Chipsss, Hard to disagree with most of that
Remember Zaidi’s first big 3 year contract he gave out … La Stella. How did that work out?
lol at big. 19m over 3 years. Yeah. Massive contract.
Hi foppert!
Give Zaidi a 10 year extension!
Vive Farhan, one of the smartest minds in baseball!
Hey Agnes. I’m a bit worried about Cohen offering him a fortune. Be a good get for them.
I just knew Farhan was in on Kike. I’m so glad that didn’t happen.
Can someone tell me how the Padres can be this horrible with that line up and decent pitching ground or is it just a good group because of who the players (big names) are or used to be
Or is it that their coaching staff is horrible and would blow even in triple A
Mets fans would also like to know the answer to this question.
Injuries.
Musgrove got injured early on missed time. Wacha and Lugo have missed time
Pen has been banged up all year.
Machado Bogaerts have dealt with injuries.
Mostly the pen as to why they’re in the situation they’re in now. Couldn’t hold leads
Lack of hitting in games they lose. When they score 4 or more runs they win over 76% of their games. When they don’t they lose.
Win about 30% of 1 run games and 0-9 in extra innings.
Run differential says this team should be leading the wild card race and be about the same record as the dodgers. They just got Suarez back the last few games. He missed all of the year prior.
how the Padres can be this horrible with that line up
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Last I looked, they were 30th in 1B OPS and 28th in DH OPS. When two of your key offensive positions are donuts, you have an issue.
Padres had the lowest RISP average in the history of MLB through mid-June. Pitching and defense has been great all year. They’re finally starting to get clutch hits.
The Padres swept the Rangers over the weekend with Seager and Heim out with injuries. The Padres didn’t have to face Gray or Eovoldi. Preller needs to take that into consideration when deciding on whether to buy or sell. Sell all rentals (Snell, Hader, Lugo). Preller should turn around and buy a SP (Lorenzen, Flaherty, Singer,) two bullpen pieces (Barlow, Hernandez, etc), and a replacement for Carpenter.
Yeah Padres are gonna buy. Two or three relief pitchers I’d guess. Maybe a swing man too. They have a three gamer with the Rockies this week, who are essentially a AAA team now (as they should be). They could be right there in the wild card by this weekend. No freakin’ way they’re selling.
So sell rentals and then buy rentals? I don’t think so.
Padres aren’t going to sell. Seidler said as much and he is the one writing the checks.
Rosario gets two hits in his first game and then sits the next two while one of the worst offensive players in the game continues to start in Rojas. Manager of the year for suure.
Rojas is in there for defense. Rosario is not a good defensive shortstop, miggy ro is and the dodgers have enough big bats that they should be able to carry a lacking bat for plus defense at a key position.
San Fran should have old buddy Scott Harrison on speed dial and grab some starting pitching. Erod and Wilmer Flores (ours, not yours) for Whisenhunt, Schmitt and Bart.
Even with the superstar duo of Betts/Freeman, the Dodgers absolutely need Smith going forward to have any shot of making a run at the WS! Given his production, what he’s meant to the Dodgers offense and his playoff/WS success, JD Martinez probably is too far behind on that list either. Hopefully Muncy can continue to produce at even 60-70% of his recent hot streak and not turn back into “Duncy” for long periods of time as well. Muncy has the capability of being “the” difference maker for the offense
Let Beck Start. Should be a uproar from the local fans. Put on your “Let Beck Start” T shirt
Two thoughts:
1) HSK is the Padres best shortstop. Even Xander Bogaerts said as much. The amount of effort he puts forth is quite obvious and makes the other members of the team look bad. Fernando Ringworm Jr sometimes looks like he hustles, I’ll give you that.
2) Blake Snell said before the season that he was going to try harder and come into the season better prepared. It is a walk year of his contract. While he had glimpses of greatness with the Padres, most of it was 100-pitch five inning appearances riddled with walks. That attitude alone should be a red flag for any GM unless you sign him to a series of 1-year contracts.
hey I agree with you for once 🙂