The Los Angeles Dodgers entered Spring Training with few storylines to follow, as much of their roster for Opening Day was already set in stone.
But one spot was up for grabs, and the Dodgers held a competition between Alex Freeland and Hyeseong Kim for the strong side of the platoon at second base with Miguel Rojas.
Although Kim outperformed Freeland statistically, the Dodgers ultimately decided to option Kim to Triple-A on Sunday. That paved the way for Freeland to make the Opening Day roster, and the Dodgers let him know that is going to happen, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic:
Related: Alex Freeland was informed he made the Dodgers, per source. https://t.co/i1xBzNsdMg
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 22, 2026
Freeland hit .116 in 43 Spring Training at-bats, but the Dodgers have been impressed by his underlying metrics and believe he is due for improved results, while also projecting regression for Kim.
Freeland has had better exit velocity numbers throughout his time playing professional baseball, and he also makes better swing decisions. However, sometimes he is too passive in the zone, and the Dodgers hope he can improve on that to become a quality everyday player.
Kim was hitting .407 with a .967 on-base plus slugging this spring, while adding one home run, six RBI, eight runs scored and five stolen bases. He also participated in the World Baseball Classic for Team Korea, but only went 1-for-12 in his opportunities.
However, Kim’s swing mechanics were “out of sync” after returning from the WBC, and he continued to make adjustments in camp. The Dodgers likely want to have him continue working on that in a low-stress environment.
With their decision, the Dodgers are following their projections for Freeland to be better than Kim, rather than following the Spring Training results. It is a process over results decision, but also one that will make many fans upset.
Emmet Sheehan part of Opening Day rotation
Although the Dodgers haven’t made an official announcement just yet, Sheehan revealed that he will be part of the Dodgers’ Opening Day starting rotation.
Sheehan has struggled this spring, in part due to an early illness that limited him at the start of camp. He allowed eight hits and seven runs in 10.2 innings across three Cactus League starts, striking out 11 and walking six.
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