Padres send Song Sung-mun to minors

The San Diego Padres have opted to send infielder Song Sung-mun to their Triple-A affiliate, the El Paso Chihuahuas, on Monday. The 29-year-old Korean player, who signed with the Padres last winter, had a .202 batting average with a home run, 15 RBIs, and 12 steals in 62 games as a rookie. However, Song was placed on the injured list with a right oblique strain in late March, which forced him to start the season in the minors.

Despite his defensive utility and speed, Song has struggled to earn consistent playing time in the majors, appearing at second base, third base, and shortstop. With Song's demotion, the Padres are left with two Korean players in the majors: Lee Jung-hoo from the San Francisco Giants and Kim Ha-seong from the Atlanta Braves.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.