Ha-Seong Kim! Was the Atlanta Braves hero in Wednesday evening’s 6-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Kim came up in the bottom of the ninth inning with a chance to walk things off, and that’s exactly what he did, lining a single into left field off Dodgers’ closer Tanner Scott, which scored the game-winning run. It was a pinch-hit opportunity for Ha-Seong Kim.
He had not recorded a hit since June 3rd and has notably struggled this season. Manager Walt Weiss is clearly trying to keep the momentum going with HSK, as he’s featured in the Braves lineup for the series finale on Thursday evening. It’s a strong pitching matchup to close out the series between Chris Sale and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
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Ha-Seong Kim Batting Ninth, Playing SS for Dodgers Series Finale
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 26: Ha-Seong Kim #7 of the Atlanta Braves reacts with Mauricio Dubon #14 following a walk off single during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Truist Park on August 26, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Braves revealed their lineup for the series finale with the Dodgers, and Ha-Seong Kim is batting ninth, and playing SS for his first start in a long time.
Here is the full Braves batting order for 8/27, per @UnderdogMLB:
Braves 8/27: “D. Baldwin C O. Albies 2B M. Olson 1B M. Dubón LF M. Harris II CF L. Thomas DH M. Yastrzemski RF A. Riley 3B H. Kim SS C. Sale SP”
D. Baldwin C O. Albies 2B M. Olson 1B M. Dubón LF M. Harris II CF L. Thomas DH M. Yastrzemski RF A. Riley 3B H. Kim SS
C. Sale SP
Some other lineup changes include Ronald Acuña Jr. getting a day off, Drake Baldwin behind the plate, and Ozzie Albies moving up to 2nd in the batting order.
Here are some reactions to the latest Ha-Seong Kim decision:
@HarrisonSmaj: “Ha-Seong Kim is the starting SS today and batting ninth for the #Braves Got the nod after last night’s heroics”
Taking a Look at Ha-Seong Kim This Season
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 26: Ha-Seong Kim #7 of the Atlanta Braves reacts with Victor Mederos #58 following a walk off single during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Truist Park on August 26, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
After being on the IL for much of July, when Ha-Seong Kim was activated in early August, he has seen a sharp decline in playing time.
If he’s able to record a hit or two off Dodgers’ starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it’s plausible to think that Kim will be featured in the lineup much more often.
Remember, Kim signed a one-year, $20 million deal before the offseason, which he obviously hasn’t lived up to, but if HSK has more moments as he did on Wednesday down the stretch of the season, Braves fans could erase his struggles from their memory very quickly.
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