A humiliating outing for Kim Ha-seong; he started after a 40-day absence but went hitless in two at-bats, appearing in only two plate appearances before being replaced by a pinch hitter... batting average dropped to 0.067

*This content was translated by AI.

After a long wait, the starting opportunity finally arrived, but it was a day that confirmed only bitter reality. Kim Ha-seong (31, Atlanta Braves) returned to the Major League starting lineup after 40 days, yet he was replaced by a pinch hitter after just two plate appearances.

On the 8th (Korea time), Kim Ha-seong started as the ninth hitter and shortstop in an away game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York, USA, during the "2026 Major League Baseball (MLB)" season, recording two hitless at-bats and one strikeout.

Kim Ha-seong's name appeared in the MLB starting lineup for the first time since June 29 against the San Francisco Giants, a span of 40 days. After recently relapsing with finger pain and undergoing rehabilitation games in the minor leagues before returning to the big league roster, he had not secured playing time on the bench for some time until finally earning a starting opportunity on this day.

The decision to start him appeared influenced by the fact that the opposing starting pitcher, left-handed ace Max Fried, had a relatively strong career batting average of 0.286 (7 at-bats, 2 hits) against Kim Ha-seong. However, before the game began, adverse weather conditions caused a rain delay of approximately two hours, creating an unsettled atmosphere from the outset.

After a long wait, Kim Ha-seong stepped into the batter's box but failed to create a turning point. In his first plate appearance, with the score tied 0-0 in the bottom of the second inning and two outs with a runner on second base in scoring position, he faced a full-count battle against Fried. He hit Fried's sixth pitch—a 95.2 mph (approximately 153.2 km/h) sinker—but made weak contact, resulting in a shortstop pop fly with a batted ball speed of 74.3 mph (approximately 119.5 km/h).

His second plate appearance was also disappointing. In the bottom of the fifth inning, with the score still tied 0-0 and two outs with no runners on base, Kim Ha-seong faced Fried again. With a count of two balls and two strikes, he took a called strike on the eighth pitch—a 94.8 mph (approximately 152.5 km/h) four-seam fastball inside—resulting in a strikeout looking.

The most painful moment came just before his third plate appearance. In the top of the eighth inning, with Atlanta leading 1-0 on Austin Riley's solo home run and one out, the Braves inserted left-handed pinch hitter Dominic Smith instead of Kim Ha-seong. With extra runs desperately needed, Kim Ha-seong was removed from the game. Pinch hitter Smith then struck out swinging.

As a result, Kim Ha-seong's season batting average fell further from 0.068 to 0.067 (5 hits in 75 at-bats). He remains trapped in a hitless slump that has persisted since the June 4 game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

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*This content was translated by AI.