San Diego Padres’ Ha-Sung Kim, 28, went down after being hit by his own foul ball, but escaped serious injury. X-rays came back negative, which is a relief.
Kim started the 2023 Major League Baseball World Series game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., on Saturday (Sept. 26), batting seventh and playing third base, but was forced to leave the game in the first inning due to injury.
In the top of the second inning, Kim hit a 93.8-mph (151.0-kilometer) sinker deep in the body of Washington starter Jake Irvin’s second pitch, but the foul ball struck Kim directly in the left knee, sending him to the ground in excruciating pain.
The pain didn’t subside over time, and Kim didn’t finish the at-bat before being replaced by pinch-hitter Brandon Dixon. San Diego manager Bob Melvin and trainers checked on him, but he was unable to walk properly and had to be helped off the field.
We were worried that it was a serious injury, but it was a lucky break. According to local media such as ‘Valleysports San Diego’, Melvin said after the game, “Kim took an X-ray and 안전놀이터 it came back negative,” and explained, “It is doubtful that he will be able to play tomorrow (27th) against the New York Yankees, but it looks like he can avoid the injury list for now.”
The good news is that Melvin’s injury isn’t serious enough to break a bone. It’s unclear if he’ll be available for the three-game series against the Yankees, which begins on April 27, but he’s expected to return with a few days of recovery time.
San Diego placed starting third baseman Manny Machado on the disabled list on Nov. 20 with a microfracture in his left hand. The injury was particularly worrisome because the team had moved Ha-Sung Kim from second base to third base to fill Machado’s void. While Machado is expected to return as early as the Yankees, the Dodgers were pleasantly surprised that Kim also escaped a major injury.