The Los Angeles Dodgers roster has undergone plenty of shuffling over the past week, and among the changes was Hyeseong Kim getting optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
That came as the corresponding move to the Dodgers re-signing Santiago Espinal, but Kim already was on borrowed time. Alex Freeland was en route to joining the team before Kiké Hernández suffered a left oblique strain, which extended Kim’s stay in the Majors by a few days.
When it appeared that Kim and Freeland would again be on the roster at the same time, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the latter was going to start receiving the bulk of opportunities at second base.
“It’s a little tricky. I’m going to give Freeland a little bit more runway,” Roberts said. “I think in the last, call it, four weeks, Hyeseong has had a lot of runway, certainly versus right-handed pitching. I think right now we’ll probably skew it more towards Alex getting more of the opportunities.”
That of course became more of a reality with Kim being sent down, and now the Dodgers are hoping to see Freeland improve on his prior stint at the Major League level.
“I think just like with most young players, it’s just to play free,” Roberts said of his advice. “You’re in a big room and you’re kind of trying to find your way and not make mistakes. I just think this is his third stint up here, so give himself some grace.
“Just go out there and play hard, be a tough out, play great defense, and then good things will happen.”
Alex Freeland receives praise
At the time of Freeland being who got sent down to the Minors earlier this year, Roberts hoped the 24-year-old would use it as motivation.
Freeland promptly was named Pacific Coast League Player of the Week.
“It was great. That was kind of what we talked about doing, was going down there and knocking the door down,” Roberts said. “Taking that frustration out on those pitchers, and that’s what he did. So obviously there’s an opportunity and I just feel he’s earned the opportunity to get some looks consistently.
“It’s a credit to him to go back down there and play well.”
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