The Padres were dealt a scare yesterday when Ha-Seong Kim was forced out of their loss to the Rockies after jamming his throwing shoulder diving into first base. San Diego sent the shortstop for imaging today and came away encouraged by the initial results.
“(Early testing) seems to be mostly favorable, but there’s zero timeline to it,” manager Mike Shildt told reporters before tonight’s series opener with the Twins (via the MLB.com injury tracker). “We’re initially fairly pleased with what it looks like. We’re still gathering information.” The Friars did not place Kim on the injured list, though he’s not available for tonight’s game.
Tyler Wade drew into the lineup at shortstop tonight. He’d seemingly be the favorite for playing time if Kim requires an IL stint. Wade provides speed and defensive versatility but limited offensive upside. He entered tonight’s game with a .241/.318/.259 batting line in 134 trips to the plate. Wade only has two extra-base hits (both doubles) all season. Kim is not an impact hitter, yet he’s far more of a threat than Wade. The South Korea native has 11 homers with a roughly average .223/.330/.370 slash across 470 plate appearances.
Kim has avoided the injured list in each of his first four MLB seasons. That durability will be a major selling point for the 28-year-old when he hits free agency during the upcoming offseason. There’s technically an $8MM mutual option on his deal with San Diego, but Kim will surely decline his end in favor of a $2MM buyout and look for a longer-term deal.
If Kim does require his first MLB injured list stint, he’ll join Fernando Tatis Jr. as lineup fixtures on the shelf. Tatis has been down for nearly two months after sustaining a stress reaction in his right leg. Dennis Lin of the Athletic wrote this evening that club officials have suggested Tatis could be out into the middle of next month (though there’s still no official timetable). The injury halted an All-Star campaign. Tatis was one of the most productive outfielders in the National League during the first half of the season, drilling 14 homers with a .279/.354/.468 line in 80 games.
The Friars have relied on David Peralta as their right fielder since Tatis went down. The 37-year-old veteran has been a surprisingly strong offensive contributor, running a .269/.331/.438 slash in 175 trips to the plate. Peralta is coming off a well below-average season with the Dodgers and wasn’t hitting well in Triple-A early this year.
In a bit of minor league injury news, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that top prospect Leodalis De Vries suffered a right shoulder strain that seems likely to end his season. While it’s not believed to be a long-term issue, the Low-A season only runs into the second week of September. De Vries was widely perceived as the most talented prospect in the most recent international signing class. The Dominican Republic native has only elevated his stock in the past few months, reaching Low-A while playing the entire season at age 17. The switch-hitting shortstop has turned in a .237/.361/.441 mark with 11 homers against much older competition. The Padres reportedly made him (and top catching prospect Ethan Salas) more or less untouchable at the trade deadline.
The NL West could be very entertaining over the next several weeks. Dodgers are stumbling, Padres are running like a well-oiled machine.
Don’t forget about those pesky Snakes too
Since the Break, Dodgers are 17-11, a 98-win pace. Good for SD and AZ for making it close, but that’s their doing and not the Dodgers.
That the Pads have won 22 of 27 but still sit 3 games behind LA hardly suggests LA is struggling.
Ethan Salas shouldn’t be untouchable.
Oh great here we go again
Would you trade Salas and de vries for Mr. Bauer
@sad. No, it seems you don’t understand my username. And why would you trade for a player in the Mexican leagues? that’s just stupid.
I would have traded both and more for LHSP Tarik Skubal who is the AL Cy Young front runner and who would pitch this year and in 2 more pennant races after that. IF AND ONLY IF the Tigers would agree to such a deal. Skubal would have helped the Padres pass the Dodgers and go to the World Series and have a chance to win it. It would have taken both Salas & Devries plus Dylan Lesko, Robbie Snelling etc to land Skubal. Flags fly Forever. AJ Preller is very skilled at quickily replemishing the Padres farms system with talent. It would have been worth it But, the Tigers were, understandably, reluctant to deal Skubal unless they were “”blown away” by a huge blockbuster offer.
I shook his hand after the 2nd game of Saturday’s doubleheader, so he is touchable.
If you saw him play, you would know why he won’t be traded. On defense and game calling alone he may be in the majors before the end of his age 19 season.
I hope they resign Higgy on a 2 year deal. He and Campy are a nice catching duo and this year should have offered tons of reasons why it’s probably best to let Salas develop more in the minors.
Love to see Higgy come back for a couple of seasons until Salas is ready.
Salas is an absolute stud and his hitting will come around. People need to relax and realize that he started the 2024 season in Fort Wayne at 17 years old and didn’t turn 18 until June. He is literally the only player in A+ ball under 19.
A week ago he roped a 114 mph line drive HR so the bat speed is definitely there. He has gone on a tear recently with a hit in 10 of his last 12 games with 2 HR, 6 doubles, while hitting .264 with a .798 OPS. He is going to be a good hitter. His focus is on learning the finer points of being a catcher right now and the Padres know his bat has plenty of time to catch up. By his age 20 season in 2026 he will be starting in San Diego.
There’s no worry about Salas’s hitting. Just like there was no concern about Merrill’s poor MiLB numbers. Salas is excelling at catching right now, and his hitting mechanics are developing, and that’s the important thing for the teen.
Salas has been hitting over .300 the last 14 days and .254/.321/.465/.786 with 2 HR and 9 doubles over 71 AB in August. His hitting is coming around
.259/.323/.447/.770 with 10 doubles, 2 HR, in 85 AB as of 8/28.
Considering his other skills, if he can do that, he will progress fast up the chain.
Ever since Fernando Tatis Jr.’s bout with ringworm, he seems to keep getting injured. This is truly an event that fascinates the medical community. Research will be done, studies conducted, and papers will be written.
–
Nevertheless, Mike Shildt is the first very good manager they’ve had in the Preller era, and Ruben Niebla is a top-tier pitching coach. The Padres are playing very good baseball on the field. They should make the playoffs, and if so, lets see how healthy their pitchers are. If enough are OK there’s a very good chance they go to the WS this year.
Maybe you’re too young to remember (joking), but before ringworm Tatis had numerous serious jnjuries. Hamstring, back, oblique, shoulder subluxation, wrist, etc…. But yes he keeps getting injured. It’s a little sad.
Shildt gets a lot of credit this year, but AJ Preller has scored on every move he’s made and deserves great credit for making the team better while reducing payroll $100M so they can reset under CBT. I’ve been very critical of him, but nothing but approval this year.
Unfortunately that’s what PED’s do to your body
If Tatis jr is PED user he’s doing it wrong. Dudes tiny compared to known PED users.
Go look at Barry bonds pre and post PED usage. Mark McGwire too.
I believe- I believe that’s the plan; look lean, do not make it appear you’re on something.
Big difference between PED’s & Steroids, in (noticeable) physical changes to the body
@88
Fair is fair. Preller has done an excellent job this season. But I won’t discount Mike Shildt. All of his Cardinals teams got better as the season went on. That’s true of the Padres this year as well. I said before the season that I hope hope the Pads win 100 games. I stand by that. Go Friars!
@Don. For me the Oscars on Padres this year, in no particular order: Shildt, AJ, Profar, Suarez, Merrill, Niebla, Cease. Best supporting actors: King, Estrada, Solano, sellout crowds.
Ya. %100.
And now the award for the best trade that the padres have ever made goes to…..trading away Juan Soto???
I still don’t know why the cards dumped shildt after doing a great job in St. Louis
Personally I think he’s the most (or at least in top 3) underrated manager currently in baseball despite winning MOTY before
Well that’s false. Tatis Jr has played roughly the same amount of games pre ringworm and post ringworm during full seasons. Prior to ringworm he had wrist and shoulder issues that forced him to miss games. They were dealt with during his suspension.
Plus after starting the 2023 season finishing up 20 games of suspension, he still played 140 games that year. This year he played in each of the teams first 80 games. So that was 220 games in a row without missing really any time.
Interesting. You just gave MLB another stat to play with. PRW = Post-Ringworm.
DeVries is going to get a rest after playing by far the longest season of his 17-year-old life already. While most US players are juniors in high school and most international free agents are playing in the 72 game DSL, De Vries has already played 75 games.
He will move up to Fort Wayne in the spring.
Tatis debería ser prohibido
You should be banned, but on here it is easier to just not see your muda comments.
Talked to Leo on Sunday in LE and he said a couple of things that were interesting and that he was still there and not on his way to Peoria was telling.
He said that the most games he had ever played in a year was caurenta, 40. He is at 75 this year. He thought he could keep playing once he rested his shoulder, but the Padres thought it was best to shut him down. He wanted to stay and the Padres have allowed him to stay with the team for now. It says volumes about his maturity at 17, the age of a high school junior, that he didn’t want to go home to his family if his playing for the season is over.
He has an .803 OPS at 17 years old in full season ball. I cannot wait to see what he becomes as he gets more pro experience and grows into that 6’3″ frame.
@ Pads Fans. Small world! Websoulmaster above shook hands De Vries, so I wonder if you happened to have met Web while hanging out and chatting with Leo?
I think he must have been referring to Salas since the Storm didn’t play a doubleheader. They played a day game against the 66ers. De Vries also doesn’t call the games, he is a SS.
If he was at the game at The Diamond on Sunday, I might have.seen him. I think the announced attendance was 890.
Like MANY fans at games like Sunday’s with just a few hundred people in the stands, I got to talk to several of the players before the game. You should really try attending some minor league games. Its one of the perks.
Oh, and if you want to talk to DeVries, speak to him in Spanish. It really helps.
I was in Fort Wayne, not Lake Elsinore. Although I do occasionally go see games there.
I love minor league games for the access you have to players. Although Fort Wayne has a much larger attendance most games than Lake Elsinore ever sees. That might actually make it easier to talk to Storm players.
I don’t think De Vries is definitely done for the season, because the Storm are playoff bound. He may just be getting a rest and as long as the shoulder heals, he will get to play in the post season. Playoff ball is such a great experience for young players that I think the Padres would not deprive him of that IF he is healthy enough to play without risking further injury.
@Pads Fans Sure, Jan.