“San Diego, however ugly it may be, appears to have escaped disaster in the infield.”
Ha-seong Kim (San Diego Padres) picked up the team. On the 26th (hereinafter Korean time), he started as a third baseman in the 2023 major league away game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington, DC, USA, but was replaced after failing to properly digest the first at-bat in the top of the second inning.
At the beginning of the second inning, trailing 0-1, there were no runners from two outs. In response to Washington starting pitcher Jake Irvin’s two-pitch, 94-mph, four-seam fastball, he held out his bat. However, his batted ball hit his knee. This often happens when pulling the ball to his body.
The problem was that the batted ball was too strong. After Kim Ha-seong collapsed on the ground, he was unable to return to the plate. He had to be replaced with the support of the club’s trainers. The X-ray test came back negative, but the San Diego media reported it loudly, and local fans were also very concerned.
At this point, Ha-seong Kim, who can play all positions in the San Diego infield, has a large share. Third baseman Manny Machado was placed on the disabled list with a fractured metatarsal bone in his hand. Second baseman Kim Ha-seong is playing as third baseman like two years ago. Jake Cronenworth moved to second base, and the use of Rugnard Odor increased.
In this situation, if even Kim Ha-seong is missing, the gap is very large. Kim Ha-seong is not very impressive with 36 hits in 152 at-bats in 47 games, a batting average of 0.237, 5 homers, 16 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.698. However, he has already been recognized as one of the best in the major leagues on defense. In a situation where the team’s lineup cannot escape from an unknown group slump, if the infield defense is weakened, the damage San Diego receives is too great. First of all, Ha-seong Kim is unlikely to be on the injured list, but there is a possibility that he will miss one or two games right away.
So MLB.com said,스포츠토토 “No matter how ugly San Diego may be, he appears to have escaped disaster in the infield.” “Ha-seong Kim is a great defender anywhere in the infield. He was the main second baseman, but in the absence of Machado, he moved to third base.”
The Athletic said of the San Diego infield, where Kim Ha-seong is missing, “The depth is already questionable, but another significant blow will be given. After Ha-seong Kim went from second base to third base due to Machado’s injury, Odor’s playing time increased, and Matt Carpenter is likely to spend a lot of time at first base.”