The Rays signed infielder Ha-Seong Kim to a two-year, $29MM contract back in February but he has yet to play a game for the club after undergoing shoulder surgery late last year. That may be close to changing, however, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Kim is set to be evaluated for a possible return to the majors after he plays what could be his final rehab game with Triple-A Durham later today. Rays manager Kevin Cash suggested that the club is “very encouraged” by Kim’s progress, but president of baseball operations Erik Neander made clear that an immediate return to the majors is not guaranteed.
“We’ll get through these next three days and then just get an idea of where he’s at,” Neander said, as relayed by Topkin. “If he needs a little more time, we’ll be there to provide it. If he feels like he’s close and ready, then we’ll keep an open mind. We’re hopefully closing in on an activation but still kind of day-to-day to see how he responds to the added workload.”
When he does return, Kim will be joining a resurgent Rays club that has jumped out to a 47-36 record, just half a game back of the Yankees for control of the AL East thanks to a 17-8 run in the month of June. While the team has largely been firing on all cylinders in recent weeks, they have been forced to rely on somewhat middling production out of the shortstop position as Jose Caballero and Taylor Walls split time at the position. Kim is a 106 wRC+ hitter over the 2022-24 seasons and a Gold Glove caliber defender all over the infield, which should be a substantial upgrade over that duo’s lackluster hitting while maintaining the quality defense Tampa has gotten from the position.
Topkin also writes that right-hander Hunter Bigge’s recovery from surgery to repair multiple facial fractures after he was struck by a 105 mph foul ball off the bat of Adley Rutschman is going well enough that the Rays do not expect the surgery to interfere with his ability to return this season. Bigge remains on a soft food diet and has not yet been cleared for physical activity amid concerns that it would put stress on the surgically repaired areas of his face, but he’ll start playing catch once cleared to do so. Of course, Bigge was already shelved by a lat strain when he was struck by Rutschman’s foul ball, so Bigge will have to resume rehabbing that prior injury once he’s cleared for physical activity. Prior to those injuries, Bigge was making himself a major part of the Rays bullpen with a 2.40 ERA in 15 innings this year.
In other positive news, Topkin notes that southpaw Shane McClanahan is expected to throw a full-distance bullpen session this coming Tuesday. It will be the southpaw’s first full bullpen since he paused his rehab earlier this month to visit a nerve specialist. The lefty is surely still a ways away from a return given that he hasn’t resumed facing live hitters and would need a significant rehab assignment after such a long layoff from big league games, but with the Rays now firmly in postseason contention it’s not hard to imagine McClanahan taking a big league mound for the club at some point this year. Should McClanahan make it back in time for October, he’d form a terrifying one-two punch at the top of the Rays rotation alongside Drew Rasmussen.
With cabby and walls producing ok at SS I wonder if the Rays work to trade Kim before ever coming back up.
Rays love to sign free agents/extend then flip them after their injury or before their final year. Eflin, springs, Glasnow, etc.
This would be an extreme version of that but if any team would do it, of course it would be the Rays.
If one or both of those 2 actually were producing well…then yes trading him would make sense. However neither one is producing well with the bat..Kim would be a significant upgrade over both of them.
the Rays have rarely focused on offense from the SS position (or at catcher). If the rest of the offense is solid but the SS can’t hit? np. It is one of the few organizations that focuses so much on defense, and it seems to work relatively well. Kim obv has a great glove, but if the team is playing well, I wonder about disrupting chemistry.
(One notable exception regarding offense at SS, and Carson Williams will be another in the future.)
Kim is a much better replacement than either of those guys. We know what both Walls and Caballero are. They sometimes get lucky. They bunt well. And they play good D. Kim can do all that as well including producing walks which both Walls and Caballero aren’t very good at. If they traded Kim before he took the field, that would be yet another stain in this ownership’s legacy and discourage even more FAs so sign with them. Unless there was some handshake deal about it prior to signing.
I hope they don’t do this, but you’re right, this does seem like a Rays move. Their love for Taylor Walls-types is intense. My hope is they keep all three and release Morel.
I’d trade Walls for a sno-cone machine. We need the extra cooling option at Steinbrenner Field.
RaysUp💥
Uhh, His elite defense with league leading DRS 16 will ensure his roster spot
Yeah, but SNO-CONES!!
@fishco
He’s a fine defensive replacement but dreadful at the plate. I’d rather roll with Caballero or Kim.
Sorry Fishco. Walls looks better to the eye than the results he generates in the field.
Agreed. His bat has come around a bit but not an everyday player. He will be a good utility infielder for the Rays
Kim starts and Mead gets optioned. Walls is the utility guy, and Cabby is an outfielder.