Kim Ha-seong, the first Asian infielder to win a Gold Glove Award in the utility category in 2023, showcased his elite defensive skills in his return to Major League Baseball after 226 days. However, his performance at the plate left room for improvement.
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On May 13 (Korean time), Kim started as the eighth batter and shortstop in the Atlanta Braves’ home game against the Chicago Cubs at Truist Park in Georgia. He went 0-for-3 with one walk, but the Braves secured a 5-2 victory.
After the 2025 season, Kim signed a one-year, $20 million contract with the Braves. However, in early January, he slipped on an icy surface, injuring his right middle finger, which required surgery and a 4-5 month recovery and rehabilitation period.
Kim began a rehab assignment with Double-A on April 30, recording three hits and four walks in nine at-bats over four games. He was promoted to Triple-A on May 5, where he posted a .263 batting average in five games before being called up to the majors on May 12. That day, he stepped onto a big league field for the first time in 226 days, since September 29 of the previous year against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Kim’s defense was sharp from the first inning. With two outs and no runners on in the top of the first, he calmly fielded a 102-mph line drive from Alex Bregman and threw to first for the final out.
His standout moment came in the top of the fourth inning. With the game tied 1-1, the bases loaded, and one out, Moises Ballesteros hit a grounder that slipped past the pitcher. Kim, moving quickly behind second base, scooped the ball and recorded the out at second. Although a run scored on the play, his defensive effort prevented a bigger inning. The Braves seized the momentum, scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take control.
At the plate, Kim was unlucky. In the bottom of the third, with a runner on first and a full count, he hit a grounder toward second base. Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner, positioned near the bag, made a diving stop and threw Kim out. Later, he flied out to third, drew a walk in the sixth, and grounded out to second in the eighth.
Kim’s return game was a mixed bag: his defense remained flawless, as if the 226-day layoff never happened, but his bat clearly needs more time to fully adjust.
