ATLANTA, GA – MAY 13: Ha-Seong Kim #7 of the Atlanta Braves walks off the field in the third inning during the game against the Chicago Cubs at Truist Park on May 13, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images)
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The Atlanta Braves have struggled to fill the everyday shortstop role with a promising candidate ever since the team lost Dansby Swanson to a new contract from the Chicago Cubs.
The team made a considerable investment in a potential solution for this season, but injuries have gotten in the way. And now with the emergence of Jim Jarvis as a potential franchise staple, things have changed again, resulting in the release of a veteran infielder.
Atlanta Braves Release Shortstop After Another Infield Shuffle
The Braves gave Ha-Seong Kim a $20 million, one-year contract in hopes that he would thrive as the team’s shortstop option.
Instead, he has struggled on the diamond and spent considerable time on the injured list. That forced the team to turn to rookie Jim Jarvis, who is establishing himself as a viable long-term option. But with Kim returning from a finger injury recently, the Braves faced a roster crunch.
Initially, that pushed the team to designate 26-year-old Jorge Mateo for assignment. And now it has ended Mateo’s time in Atlanta just months after he joined the organization. The team released him on Sunday, according to the official transaction log.
Mateo had received an extended opportunity at shortstop before Jarvis arrived from Triple-A but given the team’s investment in Kim and the excitement around Jarvis, it seemed like Mateo was just one too many shortstops on the roster.
“Mateo got some run as the everyday shortstop before Jarvis came up from Triple-A,” Anthony Franco wrote for MLB Trade Rumors. “The veteran infielder has mostly been in a utility role and hit .240/.285/.380 with four home runs across 137 plate appearances. He stole 10 bases in 11 tries.”
Atlanta Braves Stuck With Ha-Seong Kim After $20 Million Decision
Though the Braves ultimately cut Mateo in order to bring Kim back onto the roster, it seems unlikely that the $20 million shortstop addition will contribute much this season.
“Kim has been limited to 27 games by a finger injury of his own,” Franco added. “He hasn’t hit at all in his 82 plate appearances and accordingly lost his hold on the starting shortstop job.”
Mauricio Dubon, meanwhile, was expected to continue filling a super-utility role while remaining in the lineup regularly. That combination left Mateo facing an increasingly uncertain future in Atlanta.
Jarvis remains the starting shortstop, Kim provides experienced infield depth without much upside after returning from injury and Dubon can move around the diamond as needed.
For Mateo, meanwhile, the next opportunity will have to come elsewhere.