'With' Kim Ha-seong's strong arm, 'Look at Kim Ha-seong,' 'Fantastic apology,' and finally his first hit and a powerful home run dash! Atlanta was the first to reach 30 wins... 'If this continues, we'll see Kim Ha-seong in the postseason.'

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Ha-seong (31) of the Atlanta Braves, who returned from injury, finally recorded his first hit of the season in his second game back in the big leagues. He also demonstrated stable defensive play, proving his presence on the field.

On the 14th (Korean time), Kim Ha-seong started at shortstop and batted seventh in the regular-season home game against the Chicago Cubs at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, recording 1 hit in 3 at-bats.

After finishing the game, Kim Ha-seong's season statistics stand at 2 games played, a batting average of 0.167 (1 hit in 6 at-bats), 1 walk, 1 strikeout, an on-base percentage of 0.286, a slugging percentage of 0.167, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.453.

Atlanta started with pitcher J.R. Ritchie. The starting lineup was arranged as follows: Dansby Swanson (left fielder), Mauricio Dubon (designated hitter), A.J. Albies (second baseman), Matt Olson (first baseman), Austin Riley (third baseman), Michael Harris (center fielder), Kim Ha-seong (shortstop), Sandy Leon (catcher), and Jose Azocar (right fielder).

The Cubs started with pitcher Sho Imanaga on the mound. Their starting lineup was arranged as follows: Nico Hoerner (second baseman), Moises Ballesteros (designated hitter), Alex Bregman (third baseman), Ian Happ (left fielder), Seiya Suzuki (right fielder), Michael Busch (first baseman), Carson Kelly (catcher), Pete Crow-Armstrong (center fielder), and Dansby Swanson (shortstop).

Kim Ha-seong entered the first at-bat as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the third inning. Facing Imanaga, Kim Ha-seong found himself in an unfavorable 1-2 count. He fouled off the fourth pitch and was struck out by a sharp splitter. Later, in the fifth inning with one out and no runners on base, Kim Ha-seong came to bat again. This time, he hit the sixth pitch in a 2-2 count, but it resulted in a fly ball to left field.

Kim Ha-seong's first hit of the season came in the bottom of the eighth inning. With the score tied 1-1, Kim Ha-seong stepped up to the plate with no outs and a runner on first base. Facing the reliever Phil Maton, Kim Ha-seong hit the second pitch in a 0-1 count, producing a clean single to left field. This was the moment Kim Ha-seong recorded his first hit since his return.

Thanks to Kim Ha-seong's hit, Atlanta continued with no outs and runners on first and second. However, the subsequent batter, Smith, was struck out. Then, pinch-hitter Mike Yastrzemski hit a two-run double to center-left field, scoring the runner from second base. At that moment, Kim Ha-seong made a powerful dash around second and third base toward home plate, but he was easily tagged out due to the opponent's accurate relay play.

Kim Ha-seong also displayed stable defensive play. In the top of the third inning, with one out and a runner on third, Hoerner hit a ball directly toward the shortstop. Kim Ha-seong calmly fielded the ball and made a strong throw to first base to end the inning.

In the fourth inning, he showcased his strong arm. With one out and no runners on base, Bregman hit a ball between the third baseman and the shortstop. Initially, the third baseman attempted to field the ball but failed. Kim Ha-seong, covering from behind, caught the ball and made a no-bounce throw to first base with a powerful arm. However, the runner was called safe by a narrow margin.

Atlanta took a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs and a runner on second when Dubon hit a go-ahead two-run home run. In the ninth inning, with no outs and a runner on first, Kim Ha-seong fielded a ground ball from Conforto, stepped on second base with his foot, and made a strong throw to first base to complete a double play. He also handled a fly ball from the final batter, Crow-Armstrong.

As a result, Atlanta secured the win and surged to four consecutive victories. Atlanta became the first team in Major League Baseball to reach 30 wins (13 losses). They currently hold sole first place in the National League East Division. Meanwhile, the Cubs, who fell into a four-game losing streak, recorded 27 wins and 16 losses, maintaining their first-place position in the National League Central Division.

Meanwhile, Kim Ha-seong signed a contract with the San Diego Padres for the 2021 season for up to 4+1 years and a maximum of $39 million (approximately 53.4 billion won). His contract expired last year, and he entered the free agent market without exercising the mutual option. He then signed a contract with Tampa Bay for up to 1+1 years and a maximum of $31 million. However, his stay there was short-lived. In September last year, he was placed on waivers by Tampa Bay and left the team. His statistics with Tampa Bay were 24 games played, a batting average of 0.214 (18 hits in 84 at-bats), 2 home runs, 5 RBIs, 5 runs scored, and an OPS of 0.611.

The team that immediately reached out to Kim Ha-seong was Atlanta. After joining Atlanta, Kim Ha-seong flourished. He played 24 games for Atlanta, recording a batting average of 0.253 (22 hits in 87 at-bats), 3 home runs, 12 RBIs, 14 runs scored, and an OPS of 0.684. After the 2025 season ended, Kim Ha-seong exercised an opt-out (contract termination due to exercising free agency rights mid-contract) and entered the free agent market. He then re-signed with Atlanta for one year and $20 million.

However, in January, he suffered an unfortunate injury when he slipped on an icy road, rupturing the tendon in his right middle finger. He underwent surgery and, after a long rehabilitation, began playing in minor league games from the end of last month. After being called up to the big leagues on the 12th, he recorded one walk without a hit in the game against the Cubs on the 13th, and finally produced a hit in his second game back on this day.

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*This content was translated by AI.