The Tampa Bay Rays didn’t get much time to watch their new acquisition.
Ha-Seong Kim made his season debut after missing the last 11 months with a shoulder injury. The infielder was also playing his first game for the Rays, who signed him to a two-year, $29 million contract last offseason.
Kim quickly made an impact by going 1-for-3 with a stolen base. However, he exited the game after getting caught attempting to steal third in the seventh inning.
The 29-year-old left due to a right calf issue. While Kim hopes to avoid a quick return to the injured list, he’s out of Saturday’s starting lineup.
Rays manager Kevin Cash said before Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Twins, per Bally Sports’ Ryan Bass, that Kim’s calf felt sore in the morning.
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“We’ll see,” Cash said of Kim’s status. “It’s going to be day to day. I think, with our roster and the versatility, we should be OK. Unfortunately, you feel for him because he worked so hard to get back, but we’ll just see how treatment goes and go from there.”
Tampa Bay hoped to land a notable upgrade for its playoff push by welcoming back Kim. From 2022 to 2024, his 10.5 WAR matched Carlos Correa for 10th among all shortstops.
Kim has batted .242/.326/.380 since arriving in the United States. The former KBO League star set personal MLB-highs in home runs (17) and stolen bases (38) with the San Diego Padres in 2023.
A right shoulder injury ended his 2024 in August, but the Rays signed him to a deal with a player opt-out after the 2025 season. In his absence, they’ve received a .661 OPS from their shortstops.
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The Rays are one of three teams ahead of the Boston Red Sox in both the American League East and wild-card hunt. They’re 48-40, 4.5 games above the Red Sox, entering Saturday’s game at Minnesota.
Tampa Bay will await further updates to see if Kim can play during next week’s four-game season at Boston.
