On Tuesday night, the Atlanta Braves will begin a two-game series against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.
Most recently, the Braves lost 7-3 against the San Francisco Giants on Monday.
Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim did not appear in the team’s loss on Monday.
Atlanta Braves Announce Ha-Seong Kim Decision
Prior to the series opener on Monday, the Atlanta Braves have announced their starting lineup.
D. Baldwin C R. Acuña Jr. RF M. Olson 1B M. Harris II CF M. Dubón 2B O. Albies DH A. Riley 3B B. Hicklen LF H. Kim SS
A. Smith-Shawver SP
Underdog MLB posted on X: “Braves 9/1 D. Baldwin C R. Acuña Jr. RF M. Olson 1B M. Harris II CF M. Dubón 2B O. Albies DH A. Riley 3B B. Hicklen LF H. Kim SS A. Smith-Shawver SP”
After being on the bench on Monday, Ha-Seong Kim is back in the starting lineup and batting ninth for the Braves.
Kim, who has struggled mightily this season, appeared to show some positive signs last week as he hit a walk-off hit against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kim was then in the starting lineup in back-to-back games.
Unfortunately, he failed to make the most out of that opportunity. Kim went 1-for-9 with three strikeouts while playing in his last three appearances. After the Braves lost on Monday, Kim is being given another chance to prove he deserves to be in the lineup.
Overall, the shortstop has a .081 batting average with seven hits, five runs, five RBIs and two stolen bases in 35 games. In his six-year MLB career, the shortstop has a .682 OPS; however, this season he has a career-low .258 OPS.
Kim signed a one-year, $20 million contract after playing 24 games with the Braves during the 2025 season. He has been worth -0.9 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference.
Braves Right Now
After the loss on Monday, the Atlanta Braves fell to 82-56. They have a four-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. Atlanta has gone 7-3 over their last 10 games.
Right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver is set to make his fourth start of the season on Tuesday. Smith-Shawver has allowed nine runs over 13.1 innings this season. He allowed three runs in five innings pitched during his last start.
Nationals Right Now
Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals have fallen out of the playoff race as they are 66-74. They have gone 5-5 over their last 10 games.
Right-hander Jake Irvin is expected to start for Washington on Tuesday. Irvin has a 2-8 record and a 5.62 ERA in 81.2 innings this season.
Atlanta Braves Announce Ha-Seong Kim Decision Before Nationals Series