On Friday afternoon, the Atlanta Braves will begin a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field.
Most recently, the Braves won 2-0 against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.
Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim has not appeared in any of Atlanta’s last five games.
Atlanta Braves Announce Ha-Seong Kim Decision
Ahead of the series opener against the Brewers, the Atlanta Braves have announced their starting lineup.
R. Acuña Jr. RF D. Baldwin C M. Olson 1B M. Harris II CF O. Albies 2B M. Dubón SS D. Smith DH A. Riley 3B M. Yastrzemski LF
C. Sale SP
Underdog MLB posted on X: “Braves 8/21 R. Acuña Jr. RF D. Baldwin C M. Olson 1B M. Harris II CF O. Albies 2B M. Dubón SS D. Smith DH A. Riley 3B M. Yastrzemski LF C. Sale SP”
Ha-Seong Kim is once again absent from the team’s lineup. His last appearance in the team’s starting lineup came on Aug. 7 against the New York Yankees, where he went 0-for-2 before being removed for pinch hitter Dom Smith late in the game.
Utility man Mauricio Dubón will make his 45th appearance of the season at shortstop on Friday.
Kim’s last appearance came on Saturday, Aug. 15 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. With the game out of reach, Kim appeared as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning, where he hit an RBI groundout.
Kim signed a one-year, $20 million contract prior to the season. However, he has failed to live up to his contract in 2026 and has spent a large portion of the season on the bench.
Barstool Sports’ Conner Knapp wrote of Kim’s struggles: “Kim’s .066 batting average is the lowest of any position player in the history of the game with at least 85 plate appearances. He is the only player in the live ball era with a batting average under .100 and zero extra-base hits. His five total bases are the fewest ever, rivaled only by Pop Smith of the 1881 Worcester Ruby Legs — and even Pop got to seven, something I’m not sure we’ll see from Kim.”
Braves Right Now
After Thursday’s win over the White Sox, the Atlanta Braves improved to 75-53 on the season. They are five games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. The Braves are currently behind the Brewers and Dodgers for the National League’s opening round bye.
Left-hander Chris Sale is set to make his 23rd start of the season on Friday. He enters Friday’s game with a 12-8 record and a 2.16 ERA in 129 innings. Sale is coming off a strong last outing, as he allowed only one run while striking out nine against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Atlanta Braves Announce Ha-Seong Kim Decision Before Brewers Series