Kim underwent surgical procedure to restore a torn tendon in his proper center finger, and his restoration time is predicted to be 4-5 months. The process was carried out by Dr. Gary Lourie.
So, the Braves shall be with out Kim till the center of Could and probably into June. This opens the door for Mauricio Dubón to start the season as Atlanta’s on a regular basis shortstop.
Kim injured his proper center finger when he slipped on a sheet of ice whereas in his native Korea this previous week. The 30-year-old missed the primary three months of the 2025 season whereas recovering from offseason proper shoulder (labrum) surgical procedure. He additionally missed time with a again ailment final yr.
Kim was claimed off waivers from the Rays in September and he produced a .684 OPS over 24 video games for the Braves. Even together with his latest well being woes, he nonetheless was a prime goal in what was a lightweight free-agent marketplace for shortstops this winter.
With this setback, the Braves must wait a pair additional months earlier than studying whether or not Kim is able to getting again to the place he was in 2023, when he hit 17 homers and constructed a .749 OPS for the Padres.
Dubón was a two-time Gold Glove winner (2023, ’25) on the utility place throughout his time with the Astros. His biggest worth comes from his great defensive versatility. However Braves supervisor Walt Weiss is amongst those that have beforehand mentioned they’re assured in Dubón’s means to deal with the shortstop position on an on a regular basis foundation.
