The San Diego Padres broke out in a big way offensively yesterday in their spring training game against the Seattle Mariners, but the 27-6 victory also came with the news that newly-signed infielder Sung-Mun Song had to leave the game due to tightness in his right oblique after hitting his first home run of the spring.
This injury isn’t new. It was reported well before Song reported to camp, but the Padres were hoping he’d moved past the injury, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. They were in the process of ramping up the infielder’s workload to add some time in the outfielder after seven Padres left camp to play in the WBC.
New manager Craig Stammen described removing Song as a “precautionary” move, and it likely means that Song’s workload will be scaled back considerably. There was no clarification on the severity of the injury, but oblique injuries are notoriously tough to manage and heal, to the point where it could even jeopardize Song’s status for Opening Day.
Which is too bad, because Song was just starting to show signs of making a successful adjustment to MLB. It’s fair to wonder whether the infielder’s first appearance at shortstop since Song was in middle school contributed to the injury, and according to Cassavell he made a nifty play on a hot shot up the middle that initially caromed off his glove, as Song scrambled back a few feet then fired to second for a forceout.
The Padres believe in Song’s glove, to the point where they gave him a four-year deal reportedly worth $16 million, and Song was their one major signing during a quiet winter. They had designs on Song becoming their version of a super-utility player who could add plus defense and some athleticism around the diamond, but now those plays are hold.
Song was also just starting to hit, too, and that’s another area where the oblique injury comes into play given the difficulties it causes in swinging the bat. He posted his initial hits last week, and according to Cassavell his home run yesterday was a “no-doubt, 430-foot blast onto the right-field berm at Peoria Stadium, although the wind played a huge role in the Padres’ offensive explosion and turned ordinary fly balls into an ongoing adventure.
The Padres have other infield options, but no one who can step into the role Song was expected to play. The team likely won’t provide much in the way of clarification on the extent of the injury, but if Song doesn’t resurface in the next week or so it’s safe to assume there’s a good chance he could spend Opening Day on the injured list.