The Atlanta Braves’ infield depth just took a serious hit. On Sunday, the club announced that Ha-Seong Kim will miss the first four to five months of the 2026 season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger.
The injury occurred while Kim was in South Korea, reportedly after a fall on the ice. The procedure was performed in Atlanta by Dr.
Gary Lourie, and the recovery timeline puts Kim on the shelf until at least midseason.
For a Braves team with championship aspirations, this is a tough break-literally and figuratively. Kim had only just begun to find his footing in Atlanta after a rocky, injury-riddled season with the Tampa Bay Rays.
He signed a two-year, $29 million deal with the Rays last year but managed just 24 games, making his debut in July. The Braves scooped him up off waivers and re-signed him to a one-year, $20 million deal in December, banking on his elite glove and hoping his bat could rebound.
Even with limited at-bats last season, Kim showed flashes of value. In 24 games with Atlanta, he slashed .253/.316/.368 with three home runs and 12 RBIs. That’s not eye-popping production, but when paired with his consistently stellar defense, it’s enough to make a difference-especially in tight games where run prevention is just as important as run creation.
Let’s not forget, Kim racked up 15.1 bWAR during his four seasons with the Padres, despite being a league-average hitter for most of that stretch. That’s a testament to just how impactful he is with the glove.
His range, instincts, and arm strength make him one of the most reliable middle infielders in the game. Losing that kind of defensive presence up the middle creates a ripple effect for the Braves’ pitching staff and overall defensive alignment.
Now, Atlanta has to pivot. Mauricio Dubón could be the next man up to handle shortstop duties.
The 31-year-old was acquired in November from the Astros in exchange for infielder Nick Allen, who played 130 games at short for the Braves last season. Dubón brings versatility-he’s played all over the diamond-and he’s shown he can handle the everyday grind, especially in Houston where he filled in admirably during stretches of injury to key starters.
But replacing Kim’s defensive impact is no small task. Dubón is a solid option, but Kim is elite. The Braves will likely need to lean on their depth and perhaps explore external options if Dubón can’t hold down the job or if injuries pile up elsewhere.
This situation underscores how quickly a team’s depth can be tested-even before pitchers and catchers report. The Braves had the foresight to bring in Dubón, and that move may now prove crucial.
Still, they’ll be counting the days until Kim is cleared to return. If he can come back healthy in the second half, he could be a major boost down the stretch.
For now, though, Atlanta will have to navigate the early part of the season without one of the best defensive infielders in the league-and that’s a challenge no team takes lightly.