The Tampa Bay Rays have activated infielder Ha-Seong Kim from the injured list in a move that was anticipated for a long time. Curtis Mead was optioned in a corresponding move as the Rays prepare to take on the Minnesota Twins.
The arrival of Kim is a massive boost for a team that has played well in his absence. The Rays are in the midst of a 32-18 run since May 9. Kim will take over shortstop duties but can shift to other positions in the infield. He is coming off 21 rehab games with Triple-A Durham in which he went 15-for-72 with three doubles, six RBI, 15 walks, and 10 strikeouts.
Is Ha-Seong Kim Another Brilliant Signing By The Rays?
Ha-Seong Kim, 29, was viewed as one of the top free agents last winter. He suffered a shoulder injury towards the end of the 2024 season with the San Diego Padres. There were conflicting reports about exactly how long Kim would be sidelined in 2025. On account of that health uncertainty, the Rays were able to sign him to a two-year, $29 million contract, a far cry from the money that fellow shortstop Willy Adames received from the San Francisco Giants.
The Tampa Bay Rays have reinstated INF Ha-Seong Kim (recovery from right shoulder surgery) from the 60-day IL and optioned INF Curtis Mead to Triple-A Durham.
— Rays Communications (@RaysPR) July 3, 2025
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The contract contains an opt-out clause after the first year, which presents a couple of interesting scenarios for the Rays. If Kim is healthy and performs well offensively, then he would depart and the Rays must replace that production. On the other hand, if Kim struggles offensively and the throwing arm is subpar, he will probably opt-in to the remaining term on the contract. That would leave the Rays on the hook for approximately $16 million on a player who could be past his prime. It’s possible he presents something of a catch-22 for the Rays.
Kim is the Perfect Player for This Roster
Kim played parts of four seasons with the San Diego Padres. His best season was 2023 when he slashed .260/.351/.398 with 17 homers and 60 RBI. He was hitting in a lineup with sluggers Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis during that season.
With 47 career home runs, Kim won’t necessarily strike fear into opposing pitchers around the American League. However, Kim brings a solid overall approach to the plate. He steals a boatload of bases and should perfectly complement a team with the most stolen bases in baseball. He’s played at least 117 games each season of his career and carries a 10.4% walk rate and 18.8% strikeout rate that are both better than average. The Rays are striking out less than they did last season, and Kim should only help in that regard.
Plus, he has 12 games of postseason experience from his days with the Padres. Kim has experienced many of the moments that a young roster is striving to experience.
An Improvement Over the Incumbents
Taylor Walls and Jose Caballero are the only players to man the shortstop position this season. The team is only receiving a .201/.284/.280 slash line from that spot on the diamond, so Kim should help stabilize things. Walls has value as a defender and is carrying some of the offensive load. His 61 OPS+ isn’t great, but his 27 RBI and 10 stolen bases are nothing to sneeze at. Additionally, his 3 outs above average place him in the 86th percentile. Caballero isn’t elite offensively with a .227/.326/.325 and 87 OPS+, but he brings speed and athleticism to the table. Caballero has already racked up 30 stolen bases, which is on pace to easily eclipse the 44 he stole last season.
Mead also did a lot of good things this season. He posted a career-high 90 OPS+ in 47 games and impacted the game in a number of ways. Still, the arrival of Kim was bound to affect someone’s playing time. Mead has a roster option remaining, whereas Walls and Caballero have a couple more options remaining. The Rays are getting healthy at the right time and will soon field a healthy roster.
Main Photo Credit: © Chadd Cady-Imagn Images
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