Injury alert! Kim Hye-sung's dune aftermath was significant. Throwing error against San Diego + replacing early, it turned out that the aftereffects of being hit by the ball...
Jun 12, 2025
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LA Dodgers utility player Kim Hye-sung did not perform well as he was replaced by a major defense in the second half of the game with no hits and one out in two at-bats, including a throwing error that served as an excuse for the loss. LA Dodgers manager Dave Roberts' jagged way of using him seemed to shake his sense of play. The batting average in the .40s, which had been maintained since the 1st, also fell to 0.391 (25 hits in 64 at-bats).
But it wasn't. In his first at-bat, being hit by a pitcher's pitch on the elbow side affected all the performance since then. Roberts' exclusion of Kim Hye-sung at the end of the game was also a follow-up. Roberts did not criticize Kim Hye-sung. On the contrary, he gave me a cover.
Kim Hye-sung started as ninth second baseman in the last three consecutive away games between the 2025 Major League Baseball (MLB) San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego, California on the morning of the 12th (Korea time).
It was his first return to the starting lineup in one game. Kim Hye-sung played a good role of strong No. 9 with one hit and one RBI in three at-bats, starting as center fielder No. 9 in the first game of the three away games in San Diego on the 10th and hitting a tiebreaking timely double that served as the stepping stone for the come-from-behind victory.
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Roberts, who was aiming for the Winning Series in three consecutive away games, eventually put Kim Hye-sung back in the starting lineup for the game on the 12th. Excluding Tommy Edman, who has just returned from injury, Kim Hye-sung was used as the starting second baseman. The batting order was still number nine.
However, Kim did not show good performance in the match. The fact that the ball was hit near the elbow from the first at-bat in the top of the third inning seems to have left a aftereffect.
Kim Hye-sung, who came to the batter's box as a leadoff hitter in the top of the third inning, trailing 0-1 on the day, faced Randy Vazquez, the opponent's starter. Kim Hye-sung, who took out the bat after making a surprise bunt motion on the first pitch, hit the cutter on the second pitch but ended up with a foul. The ball count of 0B2S has made it a disadvantage. The cutter (89.7 miles per hour) on the third pitch came deep into the body and was hit by Kim Hye-sung's elbow. To be precise, he was struck by an elbow guard.
Kim Hye-sung didn't seem to have suffered much damage. The guards prevented the injury. Kim Hye-sung, who walked to first base intact, failed to score due to a failure of a follow-up. The San Diego infielders were extremely wary of Kim Hye-sung's stolen base.
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What's more serious than the hit is that there was an immediate aftermath in defense. Kim Hye-sung failed to complete the double play by making a throwing error in the bottom of the sixth inning with no outs and runners on first base. Manny Machado's ball rolled in front of the third baseman, making it a double play. Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy caught it and threw it to second base Kim Hye-sung to catch one out count.
Now, if Kim Hye-sung throws to first base, he can catch a second out count. For Kim Hye-sung, who majored in second base defense during the KBO League, it is a play that can be played with the eyes closed.
But as the saying goes, `Even a monkey falls from a tree,' Kim Hye-sung did not complete this ordinary play. I took the second base and turned to first base and apologized, but the ball flew in the wrong direction. It was Kim Hye-sung's third error of the season.
Kim Hye-sung's throw went into the San Diego dugout. In the end, Machado advanced to second base. This was the root of the loss. Machado, who went to third base on Jackson Merrill's subsequent left-handed hit, homered on Gavin Schütz's sacrifice fly to center field. It was a disappointment because the Dodgers widened the gap with Teoscar Hernandez's three-run home run in the top of the sixth inning when the Dodgers were 1-1, and if it wasn't for this home run, they would have been turned around.
Afterwards, Kim Hye-sung was replaced by Kiké Hernández in the bottom of the seventh inning after the attack in the top of the seventh inning. It seemed to be a reprimand replacement due to poor batting and defensive errors.
However, it turned out to be Roberts' consideration.
On the reason why he changed Kim Hye-sung after winning the away winning series by 5-2 on the day, Roberts said, "Kim Hye-sung was suffering from pain in his right elbow. This seems to have contributed to the defensive error. So I replaced it. If you take a day off for a bruise or something, you'll be fine." It can be said that bruising occurred around the elbow guard area hit by Vasquez's ball in the top of the third inning. If it wasn't for the guards, even serious injuries such as fractures were feared.
After completing three consecutive away games in San Diego, the Dodgers will play three consecutive home games against the San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodger Stadium from the 14th after a break on the 13th. Kim Hye-sung can appear in the game on the 14th. In that case, a showdown with Lee Jung-hoo will take place.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
