CHICAGO -- With a month left in a season marred by injury, Ha-Seong Kim is getting a fresh start.
The 29-year-old shortstop joined the Braves’ active roster Tuesday, starting at shortstop and batting sixth for his new team in a 4-3 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. He had been claimed off waivers from the Rays on Monday as rosters expanded to begin September.
Kim was in the first season of a two-year contract he signed with Tampa Bay in the offseason, one that includes a $16 million player option for 2026. He had only played in 24 games this season as different ailments -- including beginning the year still recovering from right shoulder surgery, and most recently, dealing with low back inflammation -- kept him on the injured list for a majority of his time with the Rays.
Even when he was on the field, Kim didn’t contribute as well as he hoped. He only had 93 plate appearances, and his .611 OPS would have been the lowest of his five-year career. Defensively, Kim -- a 2023 National League Gold Glove Award winner with the Padres -- recorded negative-1 Outs Above Average (per Statcast).
“I think if I had stayed healthy, I would've played more games every day,” Kim said Tuesday through interpreter David Lee. “Obviously, the season didn't really pan out to how I had planned it.”
Kim hadn’t played since Aug. 19 as low back inflammation had him on the shelf. However, he now feels healthy and his skipper is planning to make him the everyday shortstop.
“He's ready to go,” manager Brian Snitker said. “He wants to play every day. We told him, 'If something happens and you need a day, we'll give you a day.' If not, then the plan is to have him out there pretty much every day.”
Kim had a fine debut for the Braves, contributing two knocks (only his sixth multihit game of the year). In the field, he couldn’t corral a hard grounder to his left from Cubs left fielder Ian Happ in the bottom of the third, which brought in what proved to be the decisive run. According to Statcast, Happ hit the ball at 103.9 mph, and it had a .670 expected batting average -- far from a routine play.
“He's a ballplayer that can play the game, and he always plays hard,” Ozzie Albies said. “We saw him on the other team before he got here. I mean, he's a ballplayer. He's going to ball out.”
Atlanta finished Tuesday with a 62-77 record, 18 1/2 games out of first place in the NL East and 13 games out of an NL Wild Card spot. So, Kim isn’t joining a team with high hopes of a deep postseason run.
He could potentially provide better production for the Braves at shortstop, though.
Entering Tuesday, Atlanta’s shortstops had recorded the lowest OPS (.524) and the second-fewest Wins Above Replacement (0.1, per FanGraphs) among the 30 teams.
Though Kim isn’t having a season to remember, he did record 10.4 fWAR between 2022-24. He’s an intriguing addition to a ballclub willing to give him an opportunity to get his season back on track.
“The last few years with the Padres. I very much so liked him,” Snitker said. “Good ballplayer. That's a good acquisition, I think, right there. Shortstops are hard to come by, and to get an established one like this is pretty good.”
Kim acknowledged his defensive versatility is a strength, but he appreciates getting the opportunity to focus on shortstop, saying, “Any player would prefer to play in one position, and I know that shortstop has been my main position throughout my whole career.”
And Kim is also happy to have landed on a team with Jurickson Profar, who was placed on the paternity list Tuesday. The two were teammates in San Diego, and during that time, Kim said Profar “was one of my best buddies and probably closer to family almost.” He believes having Profar around will help make the transition to Atlanta easier.
Kim’s time with the Rays didn’t go the way he wanted. Now, a fresh start with the Braves can hopefully help him find better health and production.
“I'm obviously excited to play alongside a talented group of players,” Kim said, “and I'm obviously very excited to finish the season on a high note, in a healthy way.”