San Diego Padres infielder Choi Ji-man (32) needs a little more time to return.

On the 31st (hereinafter referred to as Korean time), the official San Diego homepage of ‘MLB.com’ updated the news of Choi Ji-man’s injury. Choi Ji-man has not yet been able to return after being on the injured list with a left rib sprain on the 15th.

According to MLB.com, Choi Ji-man started swing practice at the end of this month and is aiming to return in mid-September.

Choi Ji-man was transferred from the Pittsburgh Pirates to San Diego along with Rich Hill, the oldest pitcher, through a trade on the 2nd. After the transfer, he picked up five walks in seven games, but has yet to report his first hit as he went 0-for-11.

San Diego’s starting first baseman Jake Cronenworth is out with an injury. On the 26th, against the Milwaukee Brewers, he fractured his right wrist after being hit by Andrew Shapin’s sinker in the 9th inning. Difficulty returning for the rest of the season earned him a spot at first base in San Diego.

At the trade deadline, right-handed first baseman Garrett Cooper, who came from the Miami Marlins as a pinch hitter and designated hitter, is increasing his chances of starting as a first baseman.

If only Choi hadn’t been hurt, he would have had enough chances, but the gap is getting longer. Having a gap of at least one month is expected to be a bad news for the FA front after the season.토토사이트

Choi Ji-man has been plagued by injuries throughout the season. In Pittsburgh, he missed two and a half months in mid-April when he was placed on the disabled list with a left Achilles tendon strain. His overall performance this season is only .680 with an OPS of .680 with 6 home runs and 11 RBIs in 30 games. His slugging percentage (.440) is the highest since 2019 (.459), but his overall hitting productivity is down.

San Diego, which is far from fall baseball, now has only 28 games left. The last game of the regular season was against the Chicago White Sox on October 2nd. Even if Choi Ji-man returns in mid-September, he will not have much time to show his value as a free agent.