Published: 02 Sep. 2025, 14:03
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Kim Ha-seong throws to first base for a double play during the second inning of an MLB game against the Athletics in West Sacramento, California on Aug. 11. [AP/YONHAP]
Infielder Kim Ha-seong has joined the Atlanta Braves, leaving the Tampa Bay Rays with one year left on his contract, MLB.com announced on Monday.
The Braves acquired the 29-year-old off waivers from the Rays. Kim was under a two-year contract worth $29 million with the Rays after joining the team as a free agent from the San Diego Padres ahead of the 2025 MLB season. The deal was the fifth-largest in the Rays’ history.
Kim’s $18 million salary was also the highest in the whole Rays squad, but the team let him leave after his unimpressive performance so far this season.
He began the 2025 season rehabbing a shoulder injury suffered last year and returned to the MLB in early July. Since then, he has spent time on and off the injured list due to hamstring, calf and back issues.
In 24 games, Kim recorded a .214 batting average with 2 home runs, 5 RBIs, 6 stolen bases and an OPS of 0.611. He went back to the injured list on Aug. 21 with a lower back injury and had been preparing for a return to the active roster.
The Braves take on the remainder of Kim’s contract with the Rays, including about $2 million for the rest of this season and $16 million for next season. The Braves sit fourth in the National League East.
Kim, 29, started his MLB career by joining the Padres in 2021 and won a Gold Glove Award in 2023, becoming the first Korean player to do so.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, meanwhile, called infielder Kim Hye-seong back from the injured list on Monday.
Kim suffered left shoulder bursitis in July and spent nearly a month rehabbing in the minor leagues. He returned to the Dodgers’ MLB roster as part of a roster expansion on Monday and is eligible to play in an upcoming game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SONG JI-HOON [[email protected]]
