Kim's sore shoulder



Red Sox P Byung-Hyun Kim may or may not be Boston's fourth starter for the duration of 2004, and his return to the rotation might not begin as soon as hoped. From Jeff Horrigan of the Boston Herald :

Kim, who has complained of a sore right shoulder and stiff back since the beginning of camp, underwent tests that discovered muscle weakness in the back of the shoulder and muscle ``imbalance'' in his upper body. It was decided yesterday that he should have total rest for at least a week, followed by re-evaluation and the likely commencement of a new strengthening program for his entire body.




The possibility exists that Kim won't be ready by Opening Day, which would open up a temporary spot in the rotation for Bronson Arroyo. Kim was scheduled to start the season's fourth game on April 8 in Baltimore.

The setback is the latest in a growing list of incidents that have marked the 25-year-old's brief career with the Sox. Even though he was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks last May 29 (for Shea Hillenbrand) to serve as Boston's closer, Kim immediately let it be known that he wanted to be a starter. Although Kim recorded 16 saves in 19 opportunities, former manager Grady Little lost confidence in him as the season went on due to the precarious, razor-thin margin of his successes. When the submarine-style hurler blew a save in Game 1 of the American League Division Series, he wasn't seen again in the postseason.

Kim dug himself into a deeper hole by flipping off Fenway Park fans during pregame introductions when the team returned home. He was left off the active roster in the following series vs. New York, with the team citing a sore back. Kim was also involved in an offseason scuffle with a photographer in his native Korea but the Sox still saw enough of a promising future to sign him to a two-year, $10 million contract extension.

When asked how Kim reacted to yesterday's decision, Francona was decidedly ambivalent. ``Everybody's personality is different (but) I think he understands how much we care for him and why we're doing this,'' he said.

Posted: Sat - March 13, 2004 at 06:16 PM      

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