When the Rays signed to a in February, they knew he wouldnt be ready to play by Opening Day. The question was how much time he would mi s. Kim underwent in October. , the infielder suggested he could potentially return to the field by mid-to-late April or early May. His agent, Scott Boras, made . On the other end of the spectrum, Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller that Kims return could fall anywhere between May and July. It now seems as if the POBO from Kims former team was correct to be le s optimistic. According to , the timeline for Kims return to full-time shortstop duties has been pushed back to the mid-June/mid-July range. This isnt nece sarily a sign that Kim has suffered a setback. On the contrary, Topkin reports that Kim Sam Hilliard Jersey is doing quite well in his recovery; in some ways, he is apparently ahead of schedule. Yet, the Rays are exercising the utmost caution after what manager Kevin Cash described as a major surgery. Both Cash and POBO Erik Neander brought up the rigors of playing shortstop as a reason not to rush Kims rehab. Notably, Neander did not seem particularly open, at least not yet, to the po sibility of Kim returning sooner to play a le s physically demanding position. Kim has played 127 games at second base in his MLB career, including 106 appearances at the keystone in 2023, the year he won his Gold Glove. However, Neander told Topkin that the team is not ready to consider Kim playing any position other than shortstop although he didnt shut down the idea entirely. Perhaps playing second would indeed help Kim get back on the field, but Neanders position isnt unreasonable. Kims strong defense at a premium position (i.e. shortstop) was surely something that drew the Rays to him in the first place. Whats more, Tampa Bay already has to play second base. As things stand, the only clear opening for Kim on this team is at shortstop. Kims player option for 2026 could be another factor influencing the teams decision to play it safe with his recovery. His $16MM option would represent a $3MM raise from his current $13MM salary. It would also be the highest single-season base salary the Rays have ever paid a player. It might sound cynical, but one has to wonder if the close-fisted Rays were counting on Kim opting out of his contract after year one. As the name suggests, player options are always player-friendly, which means, in theory, that teams never hope a player will exercise his player option when they include one in a contract. In this case, however, Neander might feel a particular pre sure to ensure that Kim plays well enough in 2025 that he doesnt opt in to what would be a record salary. If Kim returns too quickly and struggles to perform (or suffers another injury), the chances of him exercising his player option would grow. Conversely, if he comes back at full strength and thrives in the second half, that might encourage him to give free agency another go. In Kims absence, was Tampa Bays primary shortstop to start the season. However, Walls has struggled even more than usual at the plate (.415 OPS, 31 wRC+), leading to the red-hot seeing more time at shortstop in recent days. There is little doubt the Rays would be better off with Kim in the starting lineup Caballeros hot hitting isnt sustainable, and hes better suited for a part-time, utility role but Caballero and Walls give the Rays options while Kim is out. , the consensus top prospect in the organization, is another shortstop to keep in mind. That said, hes not yet 22, and hes currently struggling offensively at Triple-A. While he could debut later this year, no call-up is imminent. For now, expect the Rays to stick with Caballero and Walls unle s Williams forces the i sue. Seth Halvorsen Jersey
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