Dodgers’ Dave Roberts Can’t Say Enough Good Things About Hyeseong Kim
Since the Los Angeles Dodgers have called up Hyeseong Kim on May 3, he has been electrifying the lineup and providing a spark to an ailing Dodgers team.
Kim has a slash line of .404/.436/.558 with an OPS of .994 across 52 at-bats. He has also added seven RBIs and five stolen bases with a pair of home runs.
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As much as Kim adds on the diamond — both offensively and defensively as a four-time Gold Glove award-winning infielder during his time in Korea Baseball Organization — manager Dave Roberts recently discussed what the 26-year-old brings to the team off of it.
“Hyeseong, there’s just something about him,” Roberts said. “That youthful enthusiasm, that joy, he’s just happy to be out there, happy to be on the team, and guys feed off the energy, and he takes really good at-bats, he competes.
“And, you know, giving him some runway, he’s making good on and taking advantage of it.”
Nothing was guaranteed for Kim after signing with the Dodgers this offseason as his past accomplishments in Korea were over-shadowed by his initial struggles to adjust to MLB-level velocity during spring training.
Kim spent 28 games in Triple-A and hit .252/.328/.470 with a .798 OPS and was called upon when utility man Tommy Edman went on the injured list. At the time, many were unsure how Kim would perform after finally getting the opportunity in The Show, but the KBO standout made the most of his moment.
Kim’s versatility has allowed him to not only play at shortstop and second base — the positions that he has Gold Glove awards in from Korea — but he has even made five appearances at center field during his time in L.A.
After starting the season in Oklahoma City, Kim now knows what it takes to stay in MLB and will hope to remain in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future.
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Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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