The Braves announced this morning that shortstop Ha-Seong Kim activated on the casualty list. He has been out for the entire season so far after tearing a ligament in his hand in a fall on the ice during the season. Atlanta is off today, but Kim will make his 2026 debut in tomorrow’s game. The one who plays outside Eli White he was placed on the 7-day unconscious list at the same time. White did a great job of robbing the Dodgers Max Muncy for a bases-clearing double yesterday but crashed face first into the right field wall when he made the catch (video link).
The 30-year-old Kim is in his first full season with Atlanta. He finished the 2025 season in a Braves uniform after coming through an August claim out of the Rays organization. Kim hit .253/.316/.368 in 98 plate appearances since then and did enough to convince the team’s front office to reinvest in a one-year, $20MM deal as a free agent this winter. Kim signed that deal in mid-December, reportedly turning down a four-year, $48MM offer from the A’s to gamble on himself. He injured his hand a month later.
Kim originally jumped from the Korea Baseball Organization to MLB on a four-year, $28MM deal with the Padres, which spanned the 2021-24 seasons. He played all over the infield during his time in San Diego but was primarily a shortstop. Kim has plus speed, a solid glove and a nearly average bat. He hit .242/.326/.380 in 540 games as a Padre (101 wRC+).
Kim’s lofty floor and solid if unspectacular performance in the batter’s box might have earned him a long-term contract in his first trip through free agency had it not been for a shoulder injury late in 2024 that required surgery. He signed a two-year, $29MM deal with the Rays but opted out after one year. The Rays waived him in August in hopes of saving some money, and Atlanta obliged, picking up the remaining $2MM or so from last year’s salary. They would have made headlines again for his 2026 salary if Kim had opted out. Instead, he opened that clause, returned to free agency, and came out on top about that option. Clearly, based on A’s reported claim, he had the potential to earn less. However, if he has a solid five months to close out the year, he should be able to go well past the $28MM he left on the table.
Braves shortstops rank 21st in MLB with a .266/.305/.378 batting line and 92 wRC+ on the season. Almost all of that production came from it Jorge Mateobut his .309/.345/.455 slash comes despite a 32.8% batting average and is backed by a massive .441 average on balls in play that he can support over a large sample. Mauricio Dubón he slashed .271/.331/.410, but struggled at shortstop and is more productive when in the outfield. That may come down to pure coincidence, though.
Kim’s return will reduce playing time for both Mateo and Dubón – the former especially. Mateo has not played anywhere other than shortstop this season. Dubón pitched 134 innings in the outfield (64 in left, 70 in center), 205 at shortstop and another six at the hot corner.
