Mateo making most of Braves opportunity while Kim looks to change his luck
Mateo making – Mateo has been taking advantage of his latest stretch, powering the Braves with speed and production while Atlanta sits atop MLB. Kim, meanwhile, is still trying to regain rhythm after a season-long injury saga that included offseason shoulder surgery, a Janua
Friday night in Atlanta felt like two different stories playing out at the same position.
Mateo walked into his second straight start at shortstop and made it count immediately. He went 1-for-4 with two RBI. a stolen base and two runs scored in his third straight start overall for the Braves. The timing mattered because it fit right into the larger picture: Atlanta is rolling with MLB’s best record (39-19) after an 8-3 win over the Reds on Friday.
Mateo’s numbers have started to look more settled the longer he stays in the lineup. In 35 games (20 starts), he is slashing .319/.364/.458. And while he’s doing damage earlier in innings. he’s also stretching things out where it can change late-game math—he has four doubles. two home runs and is carrying a .458 slugging percentage that has lengthened the bottom of Atlanta’s order.
Speed has been the other constant. Mateo is one of the fastest players in baseball by sprint speed, per Statcast. He has weaponized that on the basepaths, swiping seven bases and scoring 20 runs. Even his presence feels like an answer to the Braves’ need for pressure beyond the obvious hits.
For Mateo, the improvement is arriving in a limited sample, but it’s been dramatic enough to notice. He is a career .226 hitter. and the Braves are leaning into what he’s shown this season after spending the last 4-plus seasons with Baltimore. Atlanta’s hope is that his .364 OBP is more than a hot stretch—evidence. as manager Walt Weiss sees it. that his plate discipline may be sharpening.
Weiss didn’t dress it up. Before Friday’s game. he said. “He’s a talented player. very tooled up. ” adding. “I’ve always liked him from afar. and he’s done a nice job for us.” What impressed Weiss most wasn’t just the results—it was the steadiness behind them. “The thing I’m most impressed with is he’s kept himself ready mentally. and his attitude has been great. ” Weiss said. pointing to the reality that “there’ve been some dry spells for him where he hadn’t played. ” yet he has stayed prepared “mentally. physically.”.
Weiss ended with the simplest part of the job: get him into the lineup, and the Braves win games. “He gets in the lineup and helps us win some games. So, I’ve tipped my cap to Georgie for the way he has stayed ready.”
The Braves’ shortstop situation is built on that contrast—Mateo’s momentum on one side, Kim’s fight to restart on the other.
Kim is 30 years old, a former Gold Glove shortstop who the Braves signed in the offseason to a one-year, $20 million deal. They clearly believed his talent would fit the roster. Instead, his return to the field has been delayed and disrupted by injury after injury.
Kim missed the majority of the 2025 season with Tampa Bay because of offseason shoulder surgery, managing only 48 games between Tampa and Atlanta. When he looked like he might start fresh, disaster arrived in January.
While in South Korea, Kim slipped on a patch of ice and suffered a ruptured tendon in his right middle finger. The injury required immediate surgery in Atlanta. Because of that, he completely skipped Spring Training, pushing his 2026 season debut until May 12.
Those interruptions matter when you’re trying to play a position that depends on rhythm and timing. Weiss acknowledged that directly. saying. “It’s just difficult trying to jump in midstream.” He pointed to his own experience too: “I experienced that myself as a player. missing a whole year one time and coming back in June in the middle of a season. It’s tough for me, so I’ve been in his shoes.”.
On Friday, the question wasn’t whether Kim can play—it was how quickly he can get his body and approach back into the swing of things.
Kim’s early production has been hard to watch. In 12 games, he is slashing .095/.191/.095. In May, he has managed just four singles. Still, Weiss says the work is underway, and the plan is controlled, not rushed.
Weiss said, “He’s going to be a part of this moving forward.” He added that Kim is “working on some things” and that he had a “good work day [Thursday] in the cage.” Weiss planned to give him “another day or two” to slow things down and work through adjustments before continuing forward.
Right now. Mateo is supplying the loud answers—RBI. stolen bases. speed. and a .458 slugging percentage that helps keep Atlanta’s order dangerous. Kim is still waiting for his version of momentum to click after the setbacks that pushed his season debut to May 12. For the Braves. both stories are in motion at the same time: one thriving on the opportunity in front of him. the other trying to catch up to the season he lost.
Braves Mateo Kim Walt Weiss Reds shortstop MLB best record stolen base sprint speed injury return South Korea finger injury