Kim’s hitting drought drags on, could be testing O’s patience
Showalter: Time remains, but there are options
CLEARWATER, FLA. — As Hyun Soo Kim’s hitless streak grew to 21 at-bats after an 0-for-3 outing in the Orioles’ 8-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, the club is still hopeful the South Korean outfielder will break out of his early spring slump. But it’s growing evident the Orioles are getting frustrated.
“He is pressing,” manager Buck Showalter said. “I think there are some things you’ll see look a lot differently when he gets a couple [hits] under his belt, but this is the big leagues. It’s competitive and it’s unforgiving. It’s an unforgiving place.”
On Wednesday at Bright House Field, Kim hit a line drive to the warning track in left field in his first at-bat. Phillies first baseman Darin Ruf made a nice play on a sharp bouncer to retire Kim in his second at-bat, and in his third, Kim hit a high flyout to right field.
“He’s put the ball in play,” Showalter said. “I’m not going to paint that everything is [great]. It’s not. ... Let it play out. It’s March [9]. There’s plenty of time. I’m going to keep running him out there and see what happens. If we don’t like it at the end, we’ll make an adjustment. If we like it, there’s a chance he goes [north].”
Kim, 28, has struck out just three times. But he hasn’t drawn a walk, and plate discipline was one of his strengths in South Korea. He has looked uncomfortable at the plate, nothing like the player who was one of the best hitters in the Korean Baseball Organization for the past decade.
“Videotape’s a big fooler,” Showalter said. “There’s no way you can simulate the competition he’s facing now compared to what he was. Nobody can really say exactly what that level was, but I don’t want to beat him up. I don’t want him to start thinking this is something that he hasn’t experienced before. He’s faced a lot of good pitching in his career, and I try to keep in mind how fooling spring training can be.”
Kim has started in seven of the Orioles’ 10 Grapefruit League games — mainly because the club wants to give him plenty of time to adjust to major league pitching — but some of those at-bats might start to go away soon. Showalter suggested Kim might play in today’s “B” game on the back fields of the Ed Smith Stadium complex.
“We’ve got 57, 58 other players,” Showalter said. “I take each day and I go, ‘What gets us closer to being the best Baltimore team we can be?’ If it’s [continuing] to play him, then I will.” No break in Paredes’ wrist: The Orioles received good news on outfielder Jimmy Paredes on Wednesday, learning his sprained left wrist did not have a hairline fracture as had been feared.
If there was a break, the Orioles were looking at a recovery time of four to six weeks, meaning Paredes would have opened the season on the disabled list.
“Now it’s just a matter of treatment and getting him back in the flow,” Showalter said. “So that was really good news. … Now it’s just treated as a tissue thing as opposed to something bone-related, so that was good. He’s really upbeat about it. He was worried.”
A follow-up appointment with Sarasota hand specialist Dr. Brian Schofield showed no break, Showalter said.
Showalter said Paredes could get back into Grapefruit League games within the next two weeks, but must get the strength back in his wrist, which is in a cast.
“I don’t want to say ‘atrophied,’ but he’s been completely inactive, so he’s going to have to build back up a little bit,” Showalter said. “He was pretty excited, as we were, to get that news today. Jimmy’s a guy who was second or third in the American League in hitting for about three months.”
Showalter said Paredes has already picked up a bat and took some dry swings with just his right hand. Matusz, McFarland getting better: Showalter said he is hopeful that left-handed relievers Brian Matusz (lower back strain) and T.J. McFarland (left elbow inflammation) will be ready to start the season on schedule.
Showalter said McFarland could resume throwing by the end of the week and Matusz next week.
“He and Brian came into camp ready to go, so I think their throw day isn’t as far as it normally might be,” Showalter said. “So I’m still thinking that both of those guys have a chance to be available to break camp ready to pitch.”
Showalter said he still doesn’t know what caused the tenderness in McFarland’s elbow that forced him from Sunday’s game.
“That’s a good question,” Showalter said. “That’s my next question. He had something like this before, but it was real quick. A lot of pitchers have it where they tweak something, and then it quiets down. ... When you take pictures of pitchers’ shoulders and elbows and everything, you just about always show up something that throws up a bit of a flag.” Around the horn: The Orioles’ oneyear deal with slugger Pedro Alvarez is expected to be completed this morning, according to an industry source. The club’s review of Alvarez’s physical was nearly complete Wednesday night, and Alvarez could participate in his first workout with the team today. ... Right-hander Mike Wright will start Friday against the New York Yankees in Tampa. … Right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez will start Saturday against the Minnesota Twins.