Many in the United States are increasingly viewing Kim Ha-seong's (Atlanta Braves) absurd injury as the result of an individual's carelessness and a lack of professional awareness.
According to a report on MLB.com on the 19th (Korean time), Kim Ha-seong recently slipped on an icy road in Korea and severely injured a finger. Kim Ha-seong immediately went to the United States and underwent surgery to repair a ruptured tendon in his right middle finger.
MLB.com lamented, "Kim Ha-seong is expected to need four to five months to recover, and even under the best-case scenario it will be unavoidable for him to miss at least six weeks after the regular season opens."
For Atlanta, it is nothing short of a bolt from the blue. Atlanta signed Kim Ha-seong last December to a one-year, $20 million deal (about 29.5 billion won) because of the clear absence of a starting shortstop. Local fans welcomed the retention of Awesome Kim, who left a strong impression in the second half, and Atlanta director general Alex Anthopoulos also expressed great expectations, saying, "There is a very high chance Kim Ha-seong will regain the form he showed with the San Diego Padres in 2026. If he performs well, it will help both the Braves and Kim Ha-seong, and could lead to a bigger, long-term contract next season."
Atlanta also experienced bad luck last year when outfielder Jurickson Profar, acquired shortly after the season opened, received an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance. This year, aiming to erase the disappointment of finishing fourth in the National League East last season, they steadily built depth by signing Kim Ha-seong, but their most important starting shortstop suffered an absurd injury and began a long rehabilitation.
Kim Ha-seong's injury drew significant attention from the Japanese media as well. Baseball specialty outlet "Full Count" said, "After giving up a $16 million player option in the offseason, Kim Ha-seong became a free agent in Atlanta and re-signed for one year and $20 million. He was expected to be the starting shortstop, but his start has been delayed again by injury. Recovery is expected to take four to five months, and participation in the March World Baseball Classic (WBC) has become virtually impossible."
Atlanta fans were also thoroughly angered by Kim Ha-seong's absurd injury. Although specific circumstances about why he fell on the icy road have not been disclosed, many view this injury as clearly due to individual carelessness.
Atlanta fans left comments on the team's official social media account, saying, "He went out to have fun right after signing the contract and got hurt. He needs to have professional awareness," "That stuff called ice is really unforgiving," and "Kim Ha-seong should be ashamed. Accidents can happen, but to walk on ice ahead of the season is unacceptable," expressing deep disappointment.
Meanwhile, having lost Kim Ha-seong to injury, Atlanta made an emergency signing of Jorge Mateo on the 20th for one year and $1 million to reinforce shortstop depth.
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