With Team Korea falling to the Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic quarterfinals, Hyeseong Kim rejoined the Los Angeles Dodgers for the final week of Spring Training.
The 27-year-old is competing for playing time at second base with Tommy Edman expected to begin the season on the injured list. He could form a platoon with non-roster invitee Santiago Espinal or Miguel Rojas, but Alex Freeland is still under consideration for a larger role as well.
Kim was having a nice camp before leaving the Dodgers to play in the WBC, but looked a bit out of sorts in the international tournament and back in Arizona. In his first at-bat against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, Kim struck out on a dropped third strike, but didn’t attempt to run to first base because he thought he made contact with the pitch.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wants to see Kim shake some of the cobwebs off before committing to Kim as the primary second baseman to begin the 2026 season, via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic:
He still looks “out of sync,” Roberts said, despite Kim’s status as the likely front-runner for the gig.
“It’s important to see what we need to see,” Roberts said. “Because yeah, he obviously makes sense on our roster.”
Kim went just 1-for-12 with a home run in four WBC games for Team Korea and noted that he wants to get back on track before Spring Training comes to an end:
“In the WBC, my numbers weren’t great,” Kim said. “I want to make sure that this last week, I want to focus on my hitting also and hopefully make the Opening Day roster.”
Kim has gone 2-for-6 with a walk and two stolen bases in two Cactus League games since returning to the Dodgers, so he is certainly trending in the right direction.
However, the Dodgers want him to improve his swing mechanics to cut down on his strikeouts. Kim struck out 52 times in 170 plate appearances as a rookie, and so far this spring, has whiffed six times in 17 opportunities.
Hyeseong Kim avoided serious hand injury
Kim did not play in Team Korea’s final game of pool play due to a left-hand injury, but returned to the lineup for their matchup with the Dominican Republic.
The Dodgers reportedly weren’t considered with the injury at the time, and that has since been reinforced with Kim playing in back-to-back Cactus League games since returning to the team.
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