Dodgers’ Hyeseong Kim Should Get More Playing Time Following Latest Update
Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Hyeseong Kim is in a prime position to receive more playing time in the coming weeks, per the latest update from manager Dave Roberts.
Tommy Edman received a day off Saturday, and the Dodgers penciled in Hyeseong Kim as the starting second baseman. Kim won four Gold Glove awards at second and shortstop during his time in Korea Baseball Organization.
Edman spent three weeks on the injured list with a right ankle sprain, returning to the lineup May 18. Now that his ankle has recovered well enough, the team plans on putting Edman in the outfield more often.
This opens the door for Kim to play at second more often, which is his best position. Kim is hitting .383 with two home runs, 12 runs batted in, and an .968 OPS across 81 at-bats this season. The utility man also has seven stolen bases.
The Dodgers initially called Kim up as a temporary replacement for Edman when he landed on the IL; however, the 26-year-old’s breakout performance left the Dodgers no choice but to keep him with the big league team.
“I think that Hyeseong has earned opportunities, and I don’t want to get him to lose his mojo and sit for four or five, six dDodgers’ Hyeseong Kim Should Get More Playing Time Following Latest Updateays and expect good at-bats,” Roberts said earlier this month. “So I think that he’s earning the opportunity to get somewhat of a consistent look, and we’ll go from there.”
Before Edman’s ankle had fully recovered, the Dodgers played Kim in both the infield and outfield in order to get the rookie more playing time. Many fans have expressed their desire to see Kim more often in the lineup, and it appears that will be the case as the season progresses.
