Hyeseong Kim is currently with Team Korea for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, but the Los Angeles Dodgers still had an injury scare with the middle infielder.
Kim was out of the lineup for Korea in their final game of pool play against Team Australia on Monday due to a left-hand injury he sustained while stealing a base against Taiwan the day before.
The left-handed hitter had previously started Korea’s first three matchups at second base.
The severity of the hand injury was not immediately clear, but it seems Kim and the Dodgers have avoided anything of significance. According to Jack Harris of the California Post, there is minimal concern over Kim’s injury:
One update to something discussed here since we recorded last night:
Was told the hand injury that reportedly kept Hyeseong Kim out of Team Korea’s most recent WBC game is “not anything of concern”
Good news for Dodgers and Kim, who has been pushing for an OD roster spot at 2B https://t.co/l94noHfvxG
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) March 10, 2026
Kim was hitting just .100 with a .650 OPS during WBC play, but his one hit was a home run against Team Japan.
Korea advanced to the next round of tournament play and has another game scheduled for Friday. It’s currently unclear if Kim will be back int he lineup.
The 27-year-old is part of the competition for the Dodgers’ starting second base job while Tommy Edman is out, and he had a hot start to his Spring Training before leaving for the WBC.
Kim was batting .462 with a 1.154 on-base plus slugging with one home run, five RBI and two stolen bases in 13 Cactus League at-bats.
In addition to potentially starting at second base, Kim also figures to serve as a backup center fielder and shortstop for the Dodgers.
Blake Snell progressing in rehab
Blake Snell has been limited in his second Spring Training with the Los Angeles Dodgers due to a left shoulder issue that resurfaced during the 2025 postseason.
The left-hander logged 34 innings across six playoff appearances (five starts) and began to wane in effectiveness as the Dodgers got deeper into October. He previously dealt with shoulder discomfort that caused him to miss four months during the regular season.
Snell didn’t have a normal offseason throwing program and reported to Camelback Ranch behind schedule. But Snell has made progress, which included playing long toss, and he is now poised to throw off a mound this week for the first time in Spring Training.
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