*This content was translated by AI.
Kim Ha-seong (31, Atlanta Braves), who has been having a difficult time on the big league stage this season, is facing another setback. This is because resources that can be considered competitors for his position have been called up.
On the 3rd (Korean time), ahead of the regular-season home game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, the Atlanta Braves organization called up rookie infielder Jim Jarvis from its minor league Triple-A affiliate, the Gwinnett Stripers.
In addition, to call up Jarvis, Atlanta designated infielder Rauldy Teles for assignment.
Immediately after calling up Jarvis, Atlanta sent him into the lineup against St. Louis that day as the ninth hitter and shortstop. With Mauricio Dubón playing left field, Kim Ha-seong and Jorge Mateo were placed on the bench. Kim Ha-seong has now been excluded from the starting lineup for three consecutive games.
Jarvis served as the team's starting shortstop in Triple-A this season. In 76 games, he posted a batting average of .313 (93 hits in 297 at-bats), with six home runs, 36 RBIs, 49 runs scored, and 32 stolen bases, achieving an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of 0.867.
Jarvis made his big league debut last May but was sent back to the minor leagues after just two games. This time, he has been given another opportunity to play on the major league stage after about two months away.
With Jarvis joining, there is a resource that will be immediately affected: Kim Ha-seong. Their positions overlap.
After the 2025 season ended, Kim Ha-seong exercised his opt-out clause (contract termination due to free agency rights exercise during the contract period) and entered the free agent market. He then successfully re-signed with Atlanta on a one-year, $20 million deal.
However, in January, Kim Ha-seong slipped on an icy road and suffered the misfortune of tearing the tendon in his right middle finger. Undergoing surgery, he spent a long rehabilitation period before resuming minor league game schedules from late April. Although he was called up to the big leagues on May 12, he has struggled due to limited playing opportunities.
This season, Kim Ha-seong has played in 27 games, recording a batting average of .068 (5 hits in 73 at-bats), three RBIs, four runs scored, nine walks, 22 strikeouts, one stolen base (zero caught stealing), an on-base percentage of .171, a slugging percentage of .068, and an OPS of .239.
Kim Ha-seong has not recorded a hit since the game against the Toronto Blue Jays on the 4th last month. Including games in which he was substituted into play, he has appeared in 13 contests but remains hitless in 27 at-bats during that span. Given his past performances in the big leagues, this record cannot be explained by anything other than the aftermath of his injury.
While Kim Ha-seong remains silent, Atlanta has been relying on Mauricio Dubón and Jorge Mateo to share shortstop duties on the field. If Jarvis, who was just called up, joins them, Kim Ha-seong will face no fewer than three competitors for the position.
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*This content was translated by AI.
