Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed utility man Hyeseong Kim is in contention for a spot on the postseason roster.
Kim began the year in Triple-A after losing out in a position battle, but came up early in the season following a Mookie Betts injury. He played 43 games with the team, posting a .651 OPS with one homer and 11 RBIs before the Dodgers sent him back down.
He hasn’t been back, but Roberts sees some qualities in Kim which make him a valuable asset for the postseason.
“They’re in the postseason right now, but my expectation is Hyeseong will be here during the off week and potentially be a conversation for the postseason,” Roberts told Dodgers Nation. “He has the ability to run, play defense and steal a base. He’s in the conversation.
“…For Hyeseong, it’s the at-bat consistency. I don’t think his offense has been consistent. For us, the at-bat quality—for example—that Alex Freeland is giving us has been very good. For Hyeseong, just trying to find something consistent and perform consistently, and to be quite frank he just hasn’t been as consistent as he can be. But if he can get more consistent with a bat, then he can be a big piece.”
How Has Hyeseong Kim Performed in MiLB?
In the minors this season, Kim has 84 games with the Oklahoma City Comets over the course of the past few months.
During his time in Triple-A, Kim has three homers with 31 RBIs to go with a .682 OPS. He has 15 stolen bases in Triple-A, though his tendency to strike out is a bit of an issue and he hasn’t played at his best over the past couple of months.
He has a 25.3% strikeout rate in the minors this year, and 37 strikeouts through 34 games since the beginning of August, and he hasn’t posted an OPS higher than .700 over the course of a month since July.
His strikeout rate in the majors was marginally better, sitting at 23.7% over his 43 games in MLB, but he struggled in nearly every other area. His quality of contact wasn’t very impressive other than his launch angle, and his discipline struggled throughout the year.
If he can improve upon those areas down the stretch, the Dodgers could very well include him on the postseason roster.
