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2026 Injury Report: Updates on Kim, Puk, Song

Originally posted on New Baseball Media | Last updated Jan 19, 2026 11:05 AM ET

Last month, the Braves signed Ha-Seong Kim to a one-year deal, bringing him back after he was acquired for the final month of 2025. However, the Braves won’t have him for Opening Day 2026. Kim suffered an offseason hand injury, which will keep him out for at least the first month of the upcoming season.

Kim to miss first few weeks of 2026

The Braves announced on January 18 that infielder Ha-Seong Kim suffered a hand injury while he was in Korea. Kim tore a tendon in his right middle finger and underwent surgery in Atlanta. His estimated recovery time is four to five months, putting him on a timeline to return sometime between mid-May and mid-June.

INF Ha-Seong Kim sustained a hand injury while in Korea and underwent surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger. The procedure was performed by Dr. Gary Lourie today in Atlanta, and the expected recovery time is 4-5 months.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) January 18, 2026

Atlanta signed Kim to a one-year, $20MM deal in mid-December.

This will mark the second-straight year that Kim will need to start on the IL. Last year, Kim, while a member of the Rays, was recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

New Padres infielder injured

According to the Yonhap News Agency in Korea, new Padres infielder Sung Mun Song will need four weeks to recover from his own offseason injury.

Song reportedly injured his oblique during a batting practice session.

The Padres signed Song, who was one of the best hitters in the KBO this past season, in December 2025.

Updates on Martinez & Puk

The Arizona Republic provided injury updates on A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez, two of the Diamondbacks’ best relievers, and two who underwent season-ending elbow surgery last season.

Puk is expected back in the “first couple of months” of the 2026 season. The left-hander last pitched in an MLB game on April 17, 2025. He was placed on the IL two days later with elbow inflammation and didn’t pitch again.

As for Martinez, he’s expected back during the second half of the year.

Martinez went down two months after Puk. The right-hander was removed from a relief outing in June and shortly thereafter diagnosed with a UCL sprain. Like Puk, he did not pitch again during the season, as he required UCL reconstruction surgery.

This article first appeared on New Baseball Media and was syndicated with permission.

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