Atlanta Braves infielder Ha-Seong Kim is likely to miss the start of the MLB regular season due to a fluke accident.
The Braves announced Sunday that Kim underwent surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger, and is likely to miss 4-5 months as a result. The team added that the injury happened when Kim “fell on ice while in Korea.”
Kim suffered the injury when he fell on ice while in Korea.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) January 18, 2026
This sounds like a fluke, albeit a frustrating one for the Braves. It is not great news for Kim either, considering he was limited to 48 games in 2025 by injuries.
The Braves added Kim off waivers late last season and signed him to a 1-year, $20 million deal for 2026. That contract was largely based on past production, as he was a Gold Glove winner who hit 17 home runs for the San Diego Padres in 2023. Atlanta had been banking on a full year of production from the infielder when they signed him.
There are definitely worse ways for a player to get hurt, but this sounds like a particularly painful one for Kim and the Braves. The fact that he will likely miss the start of the season as a result only makes matters worse.
