Kim’s 20-homer, 20-double season is coming to an end.
The San Diego Padres’ Kim Ha-seong suffered a season-ending injury, putting a warning light on his quest for the record. The first Asian infielder to hit 20 home runs and 20 doubles, and the first Asian player to hit 20 home runs and 40 doubles, could be right around the corner.
Kim missed the game against the Oakland Athletics on Aug. 18 (KST). Manager Bob Melvin had planned to start Kim at first and second base, but changed the lineup just before the game.
With Kim out of the lineup, Matthew Batten started at second base. Kim was pulled from the game due to a sudden “abdominal pain. Kim underwent a medical examination, but the San Diego team didn’t have a clear cause until midnight on the 18th.
Local media reported before the game, “Kim Ha-seong was removed from the lineup due to abdominal pain. He is undergoing a medical examination to determine if the injury is muscular or internal.”
Afterward, Melvin said, “We ran tests and found nothing unusual, like appendicitis, which is a good thing,” adding, “We’re not 100% sure what it is right now. “We’re not 100% sure what it is right now, but I think we’ve probably ruled out anything more serious. Maybe it’s something he ate that caused him to become dehydrated. We’re not sure yet.”
“He also had a blood test, and we’ll have more information on the 19th,” he added. A simple stomach ache can make you feel better in a day.
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In 143 games this season, Kim is batting .356 with 17 home runs, 58 RBI, 81 runs scored, 36 stolen bases, a .407 on-base percentage and a .763 OPS. He’s having his best season in three years in the majors.
His hitting has gotten better and better, and his defense has been incredible, and he’s on pace to win a Gold Glove.
In terms of Wins Above Replacement (WAR), he ranks fifth in the National League with a bWAR of 5.7 according to Baseball Reference and 19th in the National League with a fWAR of 4.4 according to FanGraphs.
With three more home runs, he could become the second Korean player to reach the 20-homer, 20-double mark, joining Shin-Soo Choo. Additionally, no Asian infielder has ever recorded 20 home runs and 20 doubles in the major leagues. Kim could become the first. 카지노
With three more home runs and four more doubles, he could reach the historic 20-homer, 40-double milestone. No other Asian player, not even Japanese legend Ichiro, has accomplished this feat.
However, his attempts to reach the milestone were hampered by fatigue and unexplained stomach pains at the end of the season.
Kim was used as a top-of-the-order hitter in the second half of the season and became more active in the offense. Last year, Kim played shortstop (1092 innings) and third base (171⅓ innings), totaling 1263⅓ innings. This year, he’s moved to second base and rotated between second base (795⅔ innings), third base (245⅓ innings), and shortstop (137⅓ innings). Totaling 1178⅓ innings.
When Manny Machado (third base) and Xander Bogaerts (shortstop) were rested, Ha-Sung Kim played their positions and never had a day off. On the 13th, Kim was out of the starting lineup for the first time in 49 days, despite not being injured.
His stolen base attempts more than tripled from last year. He stole 36 bases, up from 12 last year. On April 16, he sprained his ankle on a slide while stealing second base, but he played the rest of the game without being replaced. The fatigue from playing defense and hustling on the basepaths every game was accumulating.
As a result, Kim’s hitting numbers have been plummeting in September. In 13 games in September, he’s batting 1-for-67 (9-for-54) with 0 home runs, 6 RBIs, 5 runs scored, 7 doubles, and a .417 OPS. Not a single long ball, let alone a home run. His stolen base numbers continue to pile up with no slump.
It’s a steep downward spiral from a 3-for-7 with five home runs in 24 games in July to a 2-for-7 with three home runs in 28 games in August.
San Diego has 12 games left. It will be interesting to see how many home runs and stolen bases Kim can add once he is healthy.