The Atlanta Braves face a significant setback as they prepare for the 2026 season without one of their key infielders. Ha-seong Kim, who was slated to take on the role of starting shortstop, will be sidelined for an estimated four to five months following surgery on his right middle finger, according to the team’s announcement on Sunday.

The injury occurred in Kim’s home country of Korea, where he slipped on ice and fell, as reported by MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. This incident adds to Kim’s challenging journey in Major League Baseball due to recurring injuries.

Kim, 30, joined the Braves last September after being claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays, seeking a fresh start after a season marred by health issues. His time with the Rays in 2025 was cut short as he only managed to play 24 games after recovering from shoulder surgery, only to be sidelined again with a back problem.

The 30-year-old joined the Braves last September as a waiver pickup from the Rays following another injury-plagued season.

After recovering from shoulder surgery to open 2025, Kim appeared in just 24 games with Tampa Bay before landing on the injured list again with a back issue.

Atlanta claimed him in early September with plans for him to man shortstop down the stretch.

“I think if I had stayed healthy, I would’ve played more games every day,” Kim said through an interpreter after joining Atlanta, per MLB.com. “Obviously, the season didn’t really pan out to how I had planned it.

“I’m obviously excited to play alongside a talented group of players, and I’m obviously very excited to finish the season on a high note, in a healthy way.”

After hitting .253/.316/.368 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in September, Kim opted out of the second year of the two-year, $29 million deal he signed the previous offseason.

Kim re-signed with the Braves on a one-year, $20 million contract to serve as the team’s full-time shortstop in 2026.

“I can tell you it helped on our end, just from a comfort standpoint,” Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said of having Kim for the last month of 2025. “I feel like even though he wasn’t here that long, a month was pretty significant. He fit in quickly.”

A former Gold Glove winner as a utility player, Kim has flashed a dynamic blend of speed, power and defense across five MLB seasons, though injuries have followed him.

He underwent shoulder surgery in October 2024 for a “small tear” in the labrum in his right shoulder, an injury he suffered in late August of that season.

Both the Rays and Braves have hoped to recapture Kim’s 2023 form, when he slashed .260/.351/.398 with 17 homers, 60 RBIs and 38 stolen bases for the Padres.

A three-time Gold Glove winner in the Korea Baseball Organization, Kim joined the majors after signing a four-year, $28 million deal with the Padres for the 2021 campaign.

Fellow Gold Glove winner Mauricio Dubón, acquired by Atlanta this offseason, figures to see significant time at shortstop to open 2026.