The Orioles hit the All-Star break with a two-game lead in the American League East, but they will now keep their fingers crossed regarding the health of an important member of their lineup.
Left fielder Hyun Soo Kim exited Sunday’s game after straining his right hamstring running out a grounder in the first inning of the 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Having emerged as the regular No. 2 hitter against right-handed pitching, Kim is hitting .329 with a club-leading .410 on-base percentage in 173 plate appearances.
Further testing will determine the severity of the injury on Monday.
Joey Rickard took over in left field on Sunday and could potentially share duties with veteran Nolan Reimold if Kim were to miss time when the Orioles resume action at Tampa Bay on Friday night. Kim described experiencing “a stinging pain” and told manager Buck Showalter that he sustained a similar injury right before the All-Star break while playing in Korea and was ready to return after only a couple days.
Despite his well-documented struggles in spring training that resulted in the Orioles trying to send him to the minors, Kim became a regular in late May after receiving just 33 plate appearances over the first 43 games of the season. In his 140 plate appearances beginning on May 25, Kim batted .317 with three home runs, nine doubles, 15 runs, 14 walks, and a .400 OBP.
Last December, the Orioles signed the left-handed hitter to a two-year, $7 million contract that included a provision requiring his approval to be sent to the minors.
