Ha-Seong Kim was expected to be Atlanta’s starting shortstop after the team re-signed him to a one-year, $20 million deal. Todd Kirkland / Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves suffered a blow to their middle infield, announcing Sunday that Ha-Seong Kim will miss four to five months after undergoing surgery on Sunday to repair a torn middle finger tendon on his right hand after sustaining an injury while in South Korea.
Kim suffered the injury when he fell on ice, according to MLB.com.
The Braves added Kim, 30, on Sept. 1 after the Tampa Bay Rays placed him on waivers, and he hit three home runs over 24 games in Atlanta with a .684 OPS. He then re-signed with Atlanta on a one-year, $20 million deal in December and was expected to be the team’s starting shortstop after missing the end of the 2024 season and the first three months of last season due to a torn labrum.
When healthy, Kim is one of the league’s top defensive shortstops. He registered 5.0 bWAR in 2022 and 5.4 bWAR for the San Diego Padres in 2024, when he won a Gold Glove. Now the Braves might need to turn to utilityman Mauricio Dubón, whom they acquired from the Houston Astros in November for shortstop Nick Allen. Allen, a light-hitting shortstop known for his glove, made 124 starts for Atlanta in 2025.