The Los Angeles Dodgers wrapped up Spring Training in Arizona with one spot on their Opening Day roster still up for grabs between Alex Freeland and Hyeseong Kim.
Freeland and Kim were competing to be part of a platoon at second base with Miguel Rojas. Santiago Espinal, who broke camp with the Dodgers as a non-roster invitee, could also see time at the position while Tommy Edman is sidelined to begin the 2026 season.
Freeland struggled mightily in Cactus League play as he went just 5-for-43 (.116) with a .518 on-base plus slugging, but was reportedly informed that he made the team’s Opening Day roster after Kim got optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts isn’t concerned about Freeland’s lack of results and believes he showed a lot of progress this spring with his improved at-bat quality, via Michael Huntley of the Southern California News Group:
“I think the at-bat quality has been fine. He just hasn’t finished off the at-bats,” Roberts said. “I’ve always said I don’t evaluate completely through spring training. Alex played a lot, didn’t have a great spring, but played great defensively. Talking to the front office, we felt that with what he’s done before in the past at Triple-A, give him this opportunity and see where it leads.”
Roberts thinks that Kim will be better served getting regular playing time with the Comets and having a chance to play multiple positions to increase his versatility:
“There’s no doubt that Hyeseong at some point is going to come help us out,” Roberts said. “I think the driver, as far as at the outset, was giving Hyeseong an opportunity to play every day, play all over the diamond, play some short, some center, some second base there, whereas here he wouldn’t have the runway to play more frequently.”
While Kim statistically outperformed Freeland, the 27-year-old played only nine Cactus League games due to representing Team Korea in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Roberts admitted that Kim’s time away from the Dodgers likely hurt his chances of making the Opening Day roster:
“I think the only thing that hurt him is that he wasn’t around our guys to build on some of the stuff they were working through,” Roberts said. “I’m happy he went and played for his country, but I do think that not having our guys on him daily was a little bit of a detriment.”
“The driver is him playing six days a week and logging a considerable number of at-bats, which he wouldn’t get here.”
With Freeland getting the nod over Kim, he should receive most of the playing time at second base against right-handed pitching. The switch-hitter made his MLB debut last season and hit .190/.292/.310 with five extra-base hits in 29 games.
Dodgers position player group with Alex Freeland
The Dodgers’ Opening Day roster is now all but official, with a position player group that includes Espinal, Freeland, Rojas, Mookie Betts, Alex Call, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández, Max Muncy, Andy Pages, Dalton Rushing, Will Smith and Kyle Tucker.
Shohei Ohtani will also handle two-way duties on a full-time basis for the first time since signing with the team.
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