Kim Hye-sung's final survival is a story of a miracle, Roberts, who said he will go down again soon
May 20, 2025
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The Dodgers reinstated outfielder Teoscar Hernandez from the injured list on the 20th (Korea time). Teoscar was on the IL complaining of groin pain on the 7th. His condition recovered and he played a minor league rehabilitation game at Single-A Rancho Cugamonga on the 18th and joined the day.
With Teoscar's return, James Outman went back down to Triple-A Oklahoma City. When Teosca was listed on the IL, the outman, who entered the big league, left a poor batting average of 0.125 (3 hits in 24 at-bats) in nine games and packed a bag for a minor league trip.
As a result, the Dodgers will be able to operate their best lineup as Theoska returns following Tommy Edman the previous day. Kim Hye-sung's survival in the big league is meaningful because he took the opportunity to compete in the Dodgers fielding team, which boasts the strongest members.
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No matter what anyone says, Kim Hye-sung's stay in the Major League deserves to be called a `miracle story.' According to local media Dodgers Nation, head coach Dave Roberts said when Kim Hye-sung joined the team, "(When Edman returns) Kim Hye-sung will soon go down to the minor leagues."
Edman and Kim Hye-sung competed for the main position in the spring training between February and March for second base and center field.
With Edman, who signed an extension contract for five years and $74 million last winter, in a much more advantageous position, Kim Hye-sung did not meet Roberts' expectations in the exhibition game. On top of that, as another outfielder Andy Parcs boarded the Tokyo Series roster, Kim Hye-sung was eventually eliminated and the season was held in Triple-A.
However, six weeks after the opening of the season, the opportunity came. It was a result theory, but coincidentally, it could have been a golden opportunity for Kim Hye-sung, who was injured by rival Edman. Kim Hye-sung, who played as a substitute in the first two games, started the away game against the Miami Marlins on the 6th and began to earn Roberts' trust by performing two hits, one RBI, one run and one stolen base in four at-bats. He went 5 for 12 with two RBIs and three runs scored in three consecutive games against Miami.
In addition, against the Athletics on the 15th, he strengthened his position by hitting a tiebreaking solo home run in right-center in the bottom of the fifth inning. At the time, local media expected that Kim Hye-sung's big league life would be extended even if Edman returned, and Roberts made a series of comments with the same nuance. Kim Hye-sung hit seven hits in 18 at-bats in three consecutive games against the Athletics, and in particular, he has set a record of nine consecutive on-base hits, and is said to be setting the table properly in front of Shohei Ohtani, the first batter.
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When Roberts sent Kim down to the minor leagues before leaving for the opening series in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs, he called on him to `stay here and stay at the plate and adjust to the fastball and new batting form.' There was no promise to call him up if he played a few games in Triple-A.
The Dodgers have such a strong base of players that Kim Hye-sung had no choice but to silently grind his skills and submit a positive report to Roberts. Ironically, it is not Triple-A, but the big league where Kim Hye-sung's batting skills have been proven positively.
According to Statcast, Kim Ha-sung's average batting speed is 87.1 miles and his hard hit ratio is 30.8%, which is not much lower than the league average (88.5 miles, 36.7%). This means that the intensity of the ball has been on track to some extent. Rather, the Dodgers are satisfied that their accurate contact heating and the pioneering idea of picking out balls and strikes have risen above the expectations of the scouting report.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
