Phillies’ infielder/outfielder Scott Kingery recently underwent surgery on his right shoulder to repair a torn labrum, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Kingery will be out of action for the remainder of this season, but Zolecki notes it’s hoped he’ll recuperate by next year’s spring training.
This marks yet another disappointing chapter in the story of Kingery and the Phils. The team signed Kingery to a six-year, $24M contract prior to the 2018 season, before he had even played a game in the big leagues. The hope at the time was to secure the services of a highly touted prospect at team-friendly rates, before he made himself more expensive through his production.
Unfortunately, Kingery has never been able to deliver on his initial promise in a sustained manner, producing a meager slash line of .229/.280/.387 in 1,127 plate appearances over the past four seasons and getting outrighted off the roster last month. This latest injury only further dims any hopes of the Phillies reaping any rewards from their initial leap of faith with Kingery. The aforementioned contract still guarantees him $6.25M and $8.25M for 2022 and 2023, respectively, along with $1.75M in buyouts for three club options the Phils hold over Kingery for 2024 to 2026.
If there is any chance of the utilityman righting the ship in the next few years, the first step will be what sounds like a lengthy rehab process after a significant medical procedure.
More must-reads: