The Braves were dealt a tough blow this afternoon with the announcement that infielder Ha-Seong Kim underwent surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger. The injury, which occurred during a fall on ice while Kim was in South Korea, required a procedure in Atlanta earlier today. The expected recovery timeline is four to five months - a setback that puts his return somewhere in the middle of the 2026 season.
This isn't just a bump in the road for Atlanta - it's a major detour. The Braves had high hopes for Kim after claiming him off waivers from the Rays back in September.
While he declined his $16 million player option for 2026, the Braves were able to bring him back on a one-year, $20 million deal in December. It was one of the more aggressive moves of their offseason, alongside the addition of Robert Suarez to the bullpen.
And it made sense. Kim was expected to shore up what had been a glaring weakness for Atlanta last year: shortstop production.
To put it bluntly, the Braves' shortstops struggled mightily in 2025. Their collective 54 wRC+ at the position was the worst in all of baseball, and their 0.4 fWAR ranked third-worst, ahead of only the Guardians and Rockies.
Kim, when healthy, brings a steady glove and a league-average bat - a combination that makes him a reliable three-to-four win player. His defense alone is elite, and the Braves were counting on that to help solidify the middle infield.
But that phrase - when healthy - continues to hang over Kim’s career like a cloud. This latest injury is just the latest chapter in a string of physical setbacks.
Back in August of 2024, Kim tore the labrum in his right shoulder, cutting short his season with the Padres and keeping him out of their playoff run. San Diego fell in a five-game NLDS to the eventual champion Dodgers, and Kim watched it all from the sidelines.
Even so, the Rays saw enough in Kim to sign him to a two-year deal last offseason, fully aware he’d miss the early part of the 2025 campaign while rehabbing that shoulder. But that gamble didn’t pay off.
Kim’s recovery took longer than expected, and he didn’t make his debut until after the All-Star break. When he did return, he struggled to stay on the field, landing back on the injured list with back and calf issues.
Still, his brief stint with Atlanta in September was enough to turn some heads. In just 24 games, Kim flashed the kind of two-way impact that convinced the Braves to invest again - this time at a higher price.
Opting out of his $16 million option proved to be a savvy move, as Atlanta rewarded him with a $20 million deal. For the Braves, it was a calculated risk: pay a little more now in hopes of finally solving the shortstop problem that had plagued them all year.
Now, they’ll have to wait - and hope. Even the optimistic end of Kim’s recovery timeline puts his return somewhere around mid-May, but that doesn’t factor in the ramp-up period he’ll need after missing all of Spring Training. Given his injury history and limited reps last season, a cautious approach seems likely.
In the meantime, the Braves will turn to Mauricio Dubon to hold down shortstop. Dubon is a capable utility man, but asking him to take over as an everyday shortstop stretches his profile.
He’s best suited as a versatile bench piece - a glove-first option who can plug holes across the infield. With him now penciled in as a regular, Atlanta loses that flexibility, and the ripple effect could be felt across the roster.
The Braves may need to make another move to bolster the infield, even if it’s just a depth signing. Someone like Isiah Kiner-Falefa could offer steady defense and experience, but after pushing payroll up nearly $50 million this offseason - with the additions of Kim, Suarez, and Mike Yastrzemski - it’s unclear how much financial flexibility remains.
The shortstop market isn’t exactly brimming with options, either. A low-cost signing like Jorge Mateo could help patch the hole for now, but if the Braves want a more impactful solution, they may need to get creative.
President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has never been afraid to explore the trade market, and there are potential fits out there. Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner has played shortstop in the past and has been mentioned in trade rumors, especially after Chicago’s splashy signing of Alex Bregman.
The Mets, meanwhile, are suddenly deep in infielders after acquiring Bo Bichette - though whether they’d deal someone like Ronny Mauricio or Luisangel Acuña within the division is a big question mark.
For now, Atlanta is left in a holding pattern. What was shaping up to be a well-rounded, retooled roster now has a key piece missing.
The hope is that Kim can return in the first half and provide the defensive stability and offensive consistency the Braves were banking on. But until then, the team will have to navigate the early stretch of 2026 without the player they were counting on to anchor their infield.