Injury-stricken Kim Ha-seong to sit out start of season again

Atlanta Braves' shortstop Kim Ha-seong reacts during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals in Atlanta, in this file phot from September 2025. AP-Yonhap

SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - Atlanta Braves' shortstop Kim Ha-seong is likely to miss the start of the Major League Baseball season this spring after undergoing finger surgery.

Kim "sustained a hand injury while in [South] Korea and underwent surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger" in Atlanta, Braves said on X, formerly known as Twitter on Sunday, adding that his recovery is expected to take four to five months.

According to MLB.com, Kim will "begin a second straight season on the injured list," leaving the Braves "without Kim until mid-May and possibly into June" and giving Honduran Mauricio Dubón a chance to start the season as Atlanta's regular shortstop.

Kim's injury comes after the Braves re-signed Kim to a one-year, US$20 million deal last month.

He also struggled last season while recovering from shoulder surgery and battling a lingering back ailment.

Lee Hugh