Ha-Seong Kim began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham today, marking both his first official on-field appearance with the Rays organization and the first minor league game of his four-plus years in North American baseball, as Kim never saw any time in the minors when he was a member of the Padres from 2021-24. Kim underwent shoulder surgery last October, which chilled his free agent market and allowed Tampa to swoop in for a two-year, $29MM guarantee that allows the infielder to opt out after the 2025 campaign.
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes that Kim and four other injured Rays players (Jonny DeLuca, Jake Mangum, Travis Jankowski, Kevin Kelly) are all scheduled to be activated from the IL over the next few weeks, which might make for a bit of a roster crunch as the Rays figure out how to make room for everyone. Some holes will be created when some current players are optioned to the minors, though Topkin figures the Rays will at least check out the trade market to see if any of their surplus players could potentially draw interest from other teams.
More from around the AL East…
- The Orioles are also missing several notable players on the IL, and interim manager Tony Mansolino provided reporters (including the Baltimore Sun’s Matt Weyrich) with the news that Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser both started rehab assignments today with Triple-A Norfolk. Westburg hasn’t played since April 26 due to a left hamstring strain, and then a setback two weeks ago that arose just as Westburg was about to start a previous rehab assignment. Cowser has already logged three rehab games with high-A Aberdeen, as the outfielder makes his way back from a fractured thumb that occurred in Baltimore’s fourth game of the season. Given an initial recovery timeline of 6-8 weeks, Cowser has already been sidelined beyond the high end of that timeline, but the shift to Triple-A indicates that his return to the Orioles’ lineup might not be too far away. Gary Sanchez (wrist inflammation) and Ramon Laureano (sprained ankle) are further away, but Sanchez took batting practice today and Laureano has progressed to hitting in the batting cage.
- Though the Red Sox have been in need of first base help since Triston Casas was lost for the season, the club wasn’t interested in a reunion with former prospect Bobby Dalbec, according to MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam. When the White Sox designated Dalbec for assignment at the start of May, Chicago contacted the BoSox as part of their efforts to gauge any trade interest in the infielder, but Boston declined to make a move. Dalbec instead elected free agency after clearing waivers and being outrighted off Chicago’s 40-man roster, and signed a minor league deal with the Brewers. Formerly a top-100 prospect during his days in the Red Sox farm system, Dalbec showed some flashes of that potential at the MLB level with Boston in 2020-21, but his production tailed off afterwards.