Braves announce return of $20M infielder after freak offseason injury

The Atlanta Braves had a successful series win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, as they got to a 28-13 record on the season, and remain nine games up on the Philadelphia Phillies for the top spot in the NL East.

But, for the Braves, things are looking even better than their record indicates. Matt Olson looks like an MVP candidate, and now, they're getting a key player back.

As the Braves announced on Monday morning, Ha-Seong Kim has been activated off the injured list following his freak offseason injury and will be active for the series against the Chicago Cubs.

Braves activate Ha-Seong Kim from IL after freak injury

"The Braves today returned INF Ha-Seong Kim from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the injured list, and placed OF Eli White on the 7-day concussion IL," the Braves announced.

The Braves spent $20 million on Kim this past offseason, bringing him back after a short, but successful, stint with the team at the tail-end of the 2025 season.

But, over the offseason during the winter, Kim sustained a freak injury after slipping on ice in South Korea that tore a tendon in his right middle finger.

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It was an incredibly unlucky injury, and it caused him to miss a lot of time. However, he's now returning to the big league roster, as Kim has recovered from this freak accident.

In 24 games with the Braves last year, Kim had a .253 average with a .684 OPS. He's a good defensive shortstop and has been a solid player in his MLB career so far.

He will now take over at shortstop for Atlanta, a team sitting atop the NL East, and looks to be one of, if not the best, teams in all of baseball this season.

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