Chicago: Kim Ha-seong marked his Atlanta Braves debut with a multihit effort on the road. Kim went 2-for-4 while playing shortstop for the Braves in their 4-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Tuesday (local time).
According to Yonhap News Agency, this was Kim's first game after the Braves claimed him off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday. Kim had been on the injured list (IL) for the past 10 days with low back inflammation, and instead of reinstating him, the Rays cut ties with the player who they paid $16 million for this season. Batting sixth for his new team, Kim got his first hit as a Brave in the top of the sixth inning off reliever Drew Pomeranz. Then in the ninth inning, Kim got an infield single against closer Daniel Palencia for his first multihit game since August 17.
Following four solid years with the San Diego Padres, which included his National League (NL) Gold Glove award at the utility position in 2023, Kim had an underwhelming stint with the Rays. He only made his season debut on July 4 after recovering from shoulder surgery he'd had in October last year. His rehab was halted in June due to a hamstring problem. After that first game, Kim missed three games with a calf injury. He also dealt with low back strain and inflammation later.
The Braves, a team struggling with a 62-77 record that leaves them 13 games out of the last NL Wild Card spot, acquired Kim to address their pressing need at shortstop. Before Kim's debut, the Braves' shortstops collectively had the lowest on-base plus slugging in the majors with .524. Kim expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to become the primary shortstop for Atlanta, after playing innings at second base and third base earlier in his career.
"Any player would prefer to play in one position, and I know that shortstop has been my main position throughout my whole career," Kim said.
Elsewhere in the majors Tuesday, Kim Hye-seong of the Los Angeles Dodgers returned from the IL as a pinch runner and scored a run in the Dodgers' 9-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Kim had been out since July 29 with a left shoulder injury. Following a minor league rehab stint, Kim was activated on Monday. However, he didn't get into the game that day due to a combination of missed connections and delayed flights, which forced him to spend approximately 15 hours at an airport en route to Pittsburgh.
With the Dodgers down 9-6 in the top of the ninth inning, Kim ran for Miguel Rojas, who drew a walk to start that late rally. Kim then scored from first on a double by Shohei Ohtani to make it a two-run game. The Dodgers couldn't get any closer and fell to the last-place team in the NL Central.
At Coors Field in Denver, Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run, as his team defeated the Rockies 7-4. Lee batted .300 in August and has now gone 3-for-6 in his first two games in September. He is batting .262 for the season and reached base three times in a game for the first time since August 3.