The Atlanta Braves have put shortstop Ha-Seong Kim back in the lineup ahead of their series against the New York Yankees.
Atlanta is set to kick off a three-game road series against the Yankees on the road. Ahead of the series opener on Friday, the Braves announced their lineup with Kim back in the lineup.
Atlanta’s lineup is as follows:
- R. Acuña Jr. RF
- D. Baldwin DH
- O. Albies 2B
- M. Olson 1B
- M. Dubón CF
- L. Thomas LF
- A. Riley 3B
- S. Murphy C
- H. Kim SS
Kim has struggled to hit the ball this season, but Atlanta is set to start him again in hopes of sparking something. The shortstop is hitting .068 with 0 home runs and 3 RBIs this season in 73 at-bats, as he’s also been hampered by injuries.
Kim signed a one-year, $20 million deal with the Braves this offseason.
Kim Trying to Get Back on Track
The Braves signed Kim to be the team’s starting shortstop, but he suffered an injury in the offseason that has hindered him.
Kim had to try and quickly ramp up, and Mauricio Dubón knows that hitting is tough, especially when you start behind the eight-ball.
“He comes out early and starts hitting,” said Dubón. “Hitting is tough man, especially without a good start. He didn’t have spring training, but he works hard every day, coming and hitting the machine, and everything. We all see it.”
Kim, however, has said he’s just focused on getting back to the basics and trying to figure it out.
“It’s obvious that this season has been difficult for me personally,” Kim said. “The team is doing well, so I’m trying to contribute to the best I can. Sometimes as professionals it’s how it goes, and it is what it is. I’m trying to bounce back from it. … Importantly and mentally, I’m trying to remember who I was as a player. What I’m good at and trying to stay with a positive mindset.”
If Kim can get back on track and prove he can be an effective hitter, it would be a big boost to the Braves’ roster for a playoff push.
Braves Heating Up
Atlanta has started to play much better after struggling in June and into July.
The Braves have won eight straight games, and the team isn’t surprised by their winning streak.
“We’re not surprised,” Dubón said. “You’re gonna hit some bumps. That’s baseball. That’s why we play 162.”
Bravs manager Walt Weiss, meanwhile, is happy with how the group has performed so far.
“I’m so proud of this group,” Weiss said. “We were a long ways away after June. We had really fallen back. But here we are, back where we were, when we were playing really well. This is a great response from our guys.”
The Braves are 70-45 and 8.5 games up on the Philadelphia Phillies.
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