“Kim Ha-seong is the MVP in my mind.”
Kim Ha-seong (San Diego Padres) started at first base against the Texas Rangers in the 2023 Major League Baseball World Series at Petco Park in San Diego, California, U.S., on May 31 (local time), going 1-for-1 with one hit, one walk, one stolen base, and one run scored.
San Diego fans were stunned. Kim had a shoulder injury. He led off the bottom of the third inning with a single to left off Texas left-hander Cody Breford’s 91-mph fastball. He took second on a Juan Soto walk and third on a Manny Machado single to right. The bases were loaded.
Xander Bogaerts followed with a fly ball to center field. Ha Sung Kim tried to tag up. Texas center fielder Rody Tavares threw home, but catcher Sam Huff couldn’t make the catch and the ball spilled onto the backstop. Breford, who was backing up, caught the ball, but Kim beat him to home plate with his right hand.
But Kim was in a lot of pain. If he didn’t make home plate, he would have been tagged out by Breford, who was holding the ball, so he pushed through the pain and started scoring. As it turns out, he tried to score with his right hand on a head-first slide as he rushed home, and was instantly crushed by Huff’s left knee. It appears that he took a heavy load on his right shoulder.
AJ Casabell, who covers San Diego for MLB.com, tweeted that Kim’s injury is “day-to-day. It’s not serious enough to warrant a trip to the disabled list, so he’ll be monitored for a day or two. It’s possible that he won’t be able to play against Texas on April 1.
San Diego fans immediately expressed their relief in the comments. Sun Devil85 wrote, “So glad to hear this, he’s the MVP in my mind. Next time, he shouldn’t slide headfirst into home. He might as well have reached home plate with his left hand instead of his right.”
If he had actually tried to score with his left hand, he might not have collided with Huff. Huff’s left knee was only on the ground as he defended home, and his right leg was in a squatting position. However, it happened so fast that it was hard to react.
Even Michael Jackman said, “If he didn’t do the head-first slide? He needs to be in the lineup.” Jkencinitas said, “Kim is the Padres’ best position player. Along with Tatis, he’s their best right-handed hitter. They can’t afford to be without him for long.” 메이저놀이터
Dennis Lynn, who covers San Diego for The Athletic, also tweeted that many San Diego fans lamented Kim’s shoulder injury but were glad he wasn’t on the disabled list. The 49.8 million won center fielder has emerged as the best second baseman in the National League, and the support from local fans is considerable.