Shock! $100 million in vain, the worst result. Tampa Bay's Kim Ha-sung eventually goes to the injured list (IL), and July is over

Jul 26, 2025

Shock! 100 million in vain, the worst result. Tampa Bay's Kim Ha-sung eventually goes to the injured list (IL), and July is over



Shock! 100 million in vain, the worst result. Tampa Bay's Kim Ha-sung eventually goes to the injured list (IL), and July is over
"Some Kim hurts again"

Out of the number of cases, the worst results came out. The back pain of Kim Ha-sung (30), the Tampa Bay Rays' highest annual salary ($13 million), did not easily subside. In the end, Kim Ha-sung ended up on the injured list (IL). It has been only three weeks since he returned to the game against the Detroit Tigers on the 5th.

The Tampa Bay club registered Kim Ha-sung on the 10-day IL on the 26th (Korea time). The registration date was applied retroactively to the 23rd. Accordingly, Kim Ha-sung will remain on the IL list until August 1. If he recovers well, he could play against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 2 at his home stadium, George M. Steinbrenner Field. However, if the back does not heal well, the return may be delayed further.




Kim Ha-sung, who returned on the 5th, has already experienced injuries twice. In his return match, he took a four-day break due to pain in his right calf during the process of stealing third base. At this time, it was possible to avoid listing on the IL.

Shock! 100 million in vain, the worst result. Tampa Bay's Kim Ha-sung eventually goes to the injured list (IL), and July is over
However, after walking in the bottom of the second inning in a home game against the Chicago White Sox on the 22nd, he suffered back pain in the process of stealing second base. As a result, he made a bad throw to first base when defending in the top of the third inning and was replaced in the very next defensive inning. After the game, Kim Ha-sung said in an interview with local media such as MLB.COM that he felt a severe back pull in the process of headfirst sliding to second base. I tried to put up with it and keep running, but it wasn't easy."

Initially, this back pain did not appear to be a serious injury. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash also said ahead of the White Sox game on the 24th that `Kim Ha-sung's physical condition improved. If the situation comes up, he can come out as a substitute."




In addition, MLB.COM also took a break on the 23rd, although Kim Ha-sung, who was replaced due to a back strain while sliding to the second base in the game on the 22nd, improved his physical condition on the 23rd. On the 24th, he explained that his condition improved further and there was a possibility that he could play as a substitute.

However, Coach Cash did not put Kim Ha-sung in the game on the 24th. Since there is no game due to Lee Dong-il on the 25th, it seemed that the plan was to consider taking a good rest for three days and then put him in a healthy state in the away game of Cincinnati on the 26th. However, as time goes by, Kim Ha-sung's back condition does not improve, but rather seems to have gotten worse. In the end, he could not avoid listing on the IL this time.

It is the worst news for Kim Ha-sung, who succeeded in returning to the Major League after a long rehabilitation, and Tampa Bay, which is seeking the postseason by rebounding in the rankings in the second half of the season.




Shock! 100 million in vain, the worst result. Tampa Bay's Kim Ha-sung eventually goes to the injured list (IL), and July is over
In particular, Kim Ha-sung's dream of 100 million (about 138.5 billion won) FA" is likely to disappear like a bubble. After a successful return this season, Kim Ha-sung had a plan to go back to the FA market and aim for a big hit. Therefore, Kim Ha-sung gave up the $8 million (about 11.1 billion won) mutual option in the 2025 season, which was guaranteed when he signed with his former team, the San Diego Padres, and came to the FA market.

Immediately after receiving the Gold Glove in the National League utility division in 2023, Kim Ha-sung was evaluated as a 'real FA'. The main prediction was that if the 2024 season was completed smoothly without injury, he could sign an FA contract of up to $100 million.

However, the dream of '100 million FA' was canceled on August 19 last year against the Colorado Rockies when he injured his right shoulder while going to first base. Kim Ha-sung eventually underwent shoulder surgery in October and went into long rehabilitation. In the meantime, he boldly entered the market aiming for 'FA Jae-soo'.

It was a bold challenge, and the right choice as a result. If he remains in San Diego for $8 million anyway, he will not appeal much to the market given his return after rehabilitation. It is difficult to get a good evaluation only when it comes to the FA market in that state.

Shock! 100 million in vain, the worst result. Tampa Bay's Kim Ha-sung eventually goes to the injured list (IL), and July is over
Shock! 100 million in vain, the worst result. Tampa Bay's Kim Ha-sung eventually goes to the injured list (IL), and July is over
Rather, even if the total amount is somewhat low by coming to the market early when the potential value is highly valued, it is much more beneficial to make time for FA re-entry after signing a multi-year contract.

It reflected the expectation that he could sign a much bigger contract if he returned to the FA market immediately after successful return in the 2025 season in Tampa Bay. Even if he is somewhat sluggish in 2025, he can earn time until at least the 2026 season, so it was a contract that was not bad for Kim Ha-sung.

However, the 2025 season is not going as I thought. First of all, the time to return was late. When it came to the FA market, Kim Ha-sung's agent, Scott Boras, insisted that it was possible to return in May. In the end, however, Kim Ha-sung was not able to return until July.

Even after returning, it fell short of expectations. Above all, the serious problem is that he continues to get hurt even after his return. It is evidence that Kim Ha-sung's 'durability' has greatly weakened due to long rehabilitation. This is a worse indicator than poor batting performance. Frequent injury history can be a big negative factor when appearing in the FA market in the future. It is highly likely that the `$100 million dream' has definitely flown away due to the appearance of the IL.



Reporter Lee Won-man wman@sportschosun.com



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.