The Atlanta Braves gave Ha-Seong Kim the day off Wednesday against the Miami Marlins, with Mauricio Dubon starting at shortstop as Atlanta tried to keep its rhythm in a four-game series tied 1-1 in Miami.
Kim could still be available off the bench in a pinch-hit role, but the move was another sign that the Braves are still sorting out their infield as the series reaches a decisive point. Dubon, who has been a revelation for the club, stepped in while Kim watched after what was only his second start on the bench since he came off the 10-day injured list on May 11.
The numbers explain why the Braves are being careful. Through his first seven games with Atlanta, Kim was just 2-for-23 with a.087 average, a 3:5 walk-to-strikeout ratio, two runs and one RBI. He had also entered this season with a hand injury after slipping on ice, another setback in a stretch that has kept him from finding a groove.
Atlanta claimed Kim at the end of the 2025 season and then signed him to a one-year, $20 million contract before the 2026 season, betting he could be a steady answer at shortstop. That has not happened yet. In 24 games with the Braves, Kim has hit three home runs, and over 110 total at-bats in 2025 and 2026 he has hit.218 with a.599 OPS.
The bigger issue is that the Braves, regarded as the best team in MLB this season, have not gotten clean production from a position that already felt trapped. Dubon’s emergence has eased that pressure, but it has also underlined how unsettled the spot remains. For a team built to win now, that is the kind of problem that can linger long after one Wednesday night in Miami.
