The San Diego Padres recalled infielder Sung-Mun Song on Tuesday to replace Jake Cronenworth, who went on the seven-day injured list.
Song was called up on April 26, but only appeared as a pinch runner in a 12-7 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. On Tuesday, he made his first career start and did not disappoint. He went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. He also swiped a bag.
Song will get plenty of run with Cronenworth on the injured list, and will likely make most of the starts at second base. He can also fill in at shortstop and third base when needed. The Padres’ offense has been searching for answers, and Song helped give them some.
Hitting ninth, Song picked up his first big league hit in the top of the fourth inning. His two-RBI double gave the Padres a 5-4 lead at the time.
Song spent nine seasons in the KBO. He played for the Kiwoom Heroes and had 80 home runs in his time with them. He was posted following the 2025 season after slashing .315/.387/.530 in 144 games. He was an All-Star in 2024 and won a Golden Glove Award in 2025 at third base.
Song was slashing .293/.364/.354 in Triple-A El Paso when the Padres called him up to replace Cronenworth. Now, he is looking to earn a permanent spot on the big league team. The Padres signed him to a four-year, $15 million deal in the offseason, hoping he could be the next Korean player to turn into a star in the big leagues.
Photo: San Diego Padres’ Sung-Mun Song, right, is congratulated by Manny Machado, left, after scoring on a single by Jackson Merrill during the fourth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
