Kim Ha-seong (30), who returned to action with the Triple-A Durham Bulls under the Tampa Bay Rays, recorded no hits in four at-bats during his second rehabilitation game.

On the 29th (Korea time), Kim Ha-seong started as the designated hitter in the Triple-A game against the Memphis Redbirds (affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals) held at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, North Carolina, and finished with no hits in four at-bats. His Triple-A season batting average has now dropped to .333 (2 hits in 6 at-bats).

After returning to action from a shoulder injury for the first time in nine months in the game against Memphis on the 27th, where he went 2-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base as the designated hitter, Kim Ha-seong took another step toward returning to Major League Baseball by serving as the designated hitter again on this day.

In the first inning, Kim faced Memphis right-hander Michael McGreevy in his first at-bat, but he popped up to the infield on a low sweeper on the second pitch.

In the third inning, with two outs and a runner on first base, he hit a line drive to third base. After a foul on the fifth pitch in a 2-2 count, he pulled a sinker on the sixth pitch but it went straight to the third baseman.

In the fifth inning, with two outs and a runner on second base, it was a ground out to third. He pulled McGreevy's low sweeper on the third pitch, but it did not get past the infield.

In the seventh inning, with two outs and a runner on third base, it was another ground out to third. He swung at a low curveball from right-hander Nick Anderson on the second pitch, but ended the inning with a ground out to third.

The game ended with Durham losing 2-7.

Kim Ha-seong suffered a shoulder injury during a game against the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 19 last year, underwent surgery, and entered rehabilitation. After finishing the season and obtaining free agency eligibility, Kim Ha-seong opted out of a mutual option worth $8 million with San Diego for 2025 and entered the market. However, due to the risk of shoulder surgery, it took time to find a new team, but in February, he signed a two-year, $29 million contract with Tampa Bay.

The contract includes an annual salary of $13 million this year and a player option for $16 million next year, with the ability to opt out. He has been treated as the highest-paid player in the small-market Tampa Bay and is preparing for his return to Major League Baseball as a shortstop amid sufficient rehabilitation time. He returned to action in Triple-A after 281 days on the 27th and has adjusted his batting timing as the designated hitter in back-to-back games. He is expected to take the field as a shortstop in the next game.

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