Padres could optimize infield when the Twins come to town

The San Diego Padres lost their first series in over a month on Sunday and may have also lost their shortstop.

When San Diego opens a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Monday night, Ha-Seong Kim will likely be on the bench due to a shoulder injury he suffered in Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies.

Kim injured his right shoulder while diving back to first base on a pickoff attempt in the third inning and was taken out of the game. Padres manager Mike Shildt said after the setback that Kim would be further evaluated on Monday.

“He’s dealing with something that’s going to take some time,” Shildt said. “How much, we’ll know (Monday).”

If Kim, who has a .233 batting average with 11 home runs, 47 RBIs and 22 stolen bases (team-leading), goes on the injured list, the Padres could move Xander Bogaerts or Manny Machado to the shortstop position. Bogaerts has been a shortstop for most of his major league career, and Machado has played the position at times with San Diego, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Baltimore Orioles.

Although the Rockies, the worst in the National League, won two games of a three-game series against the Padres over the weekend, San Diego is still in the lead in the race for the NL wild card, one game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Padres are also in second place in the NL West, three games behind the Dodgers.

Michael King (10-6, 3.19 ERA) will be on the mound for San Diego in the first game of the series on Monday. The right-hander is coming off a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates and pitched six scoreless innings against them last Tuesday. King managed seven hits, issued no walks and struck out 10.

In three career appearances (one start) against Minnesota, King was never a deciding factor and posted a 2.45 ERA.

The Twins squandered a chance to sweep the Texas Rangers four games on Sunday when they blew a 4-0 seventh-inning lead and lost 6-5 in ten innings.

A throwing error by Minnesota third baseman Jose Miranda allowed Texas to score the winning point.

Despite the result, the Twins hold on to their second wild card in the American League, sitting 2 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees and Orioles. They are also just two games behind the first-place Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central.

“We’re in every game,” said Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli. “We’ll continue to be in every game.”

Rookie right-hander Zebby Matthews (1-0, 3.60) will make his second major league start on Monday. Matthews won his major league debut last Tuesday, allowing two runs on five hits in five innings against the Kansas City Royals.

Before Sunday’s loss, Minnesota was 17 games over .500, its highest ever this season. It is 11-6 this month and begins a nine-game home series after the series against the Padres.

“We never give up,” said Twins all-rounder Willi Castro after Minnesota’s 5-2 win over the Rangers on Saturday. “We never give up.”

–Field level media