Padres manager Mike Shildt told reporters (including ) this evening that shortstop s season is over. Kim later told reporters ( Wendell Carter Jr. Jersey ) that hes undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. The shortstop has been on the IL for over a month due to inflammation in his shoulder, and Shildt that Kim might ultimately need to go under the knife to repair the labrum in his shoulder. Its a huge blow for a Padres club that has leaned heavily on the 28-year-old since he enjoyed a breakout season back in 2022. That year, Kim stepped in to replace troubled star at shortstop amid a lost season caused by off-the-field injuries and a PED suspension. He excelled in the role, hitting an above-average .251/.325/.383 (105 wRC+) in 150 games while playing strong defense at shortstop. Kim was pushed back to second base by the addition of last year but took yet another step forward with the bat while playing slick defense acro s not only the keystone but also shortstop and third base as needed. Last year, Kim slashed .260/.351/.398 with a wRC+ of 110 while swiping 38 bags in 47 attempts. That overall package was enough to earn Kim his first career Gold Glove award and even some downballot MVP votes. Coming off that strong season and a lackluster season defensively from Bogaerts, the Padres elected to switch the two entering this year to return Kim to shortstop. That seemingly set him up for what could be his third straight career year, but things didnt play out quite that way as the infielder took a slight step back at the plate. In 121 games for the Padres this year, Kim posted a wRC+ of 101 while stealing 22 bases in 27 attempts. That down season has been further exacerbated by his shoulder woes, which have kept him from participating in the stretch run and now will remove him from San Diegos postseason plans entirely. Looking ahead for the Padres, it seems likely that the club will now stick with Bogaerts at shortstop headed into the postseason, as theyve done since moving him back to the position earlier this month in response to Kims injury. Its been a down season for Bogaerts overall as hes been limited to just 110 games so far by injuries while posting a 94 wRC+ thats his worst since 2014, but hes managed to turn things around since returning from the injured list back in July with a solid .295/.336/.430 slash line acro s 259 plate appearances thats good for a 116 wRC+. Thats opened second base up for regular starts from , leaving first base available for a timeshare between and , the latter of whom also factors into the clubs DH mix alongside on days he isnt playing first base. As for Kim himself, the shortstop will now head into free agency facing a new layer of uncertainty. While hes still all but certain to decline his $8MM mutual option for next season in favor of a $2MM buyout, its po sible that teams could be more hesitant to offer the versatile infielder a sizable multi-year deal this winter due to concerns about how his shoulder i sues could impact him on both sides of the ball going forward. Kim appeared likely to be a consensus top infield option in free agency this winter behind and , making it easy to imagine him landing a significant contract. Between his down 2024 season at the plate and now his impending surgery, however, Kims future seems a bit murkier than it did even a few days ago. Daniel Gafford Jersey