First at-bat strikeout → What's wrong with Kim Hye-sung as a substitute? Coach Roberts, who brought up the platoon, lost his composure amid the team's sluggish performance

Sep 06, 2025

First at-bat strikeout → What's wrong with Kim Hye-sung as a substitute? Coach Roberts, who brought up the platoon, lost his composure amid the team's sluggish performance



First at-bat strikeout → What's wrong with Kim Hye-sung as a substitute? Coach Roberts, who brought up the platoon, lost his composure amid the team's sluggish performance
LA Dodgers manager Dave Roberts' style has changed. Roberts, who was playing Major League Baseball's version of the Baseball of Faith, made a firm decision to replace Kim Hye-sung, the team's vitality who returned from injury. Attention is focusing on whether trust in Kim Hye-sung has fallen or whether Roberts' mind has lost its leeway.

Kim Hye-sung started as the seventh second baseman in an away game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland on the morning of the 6th (Korea time).

This was Kim Hye-sung's second start since his return from injury. Since being called up to the Major League on May 4, Kim Hye-sung has been playing in the big leagues as a `super utility' of the Los Angeles Dodgers for more than two months, consistently performing better than expected. However, due to symptoms of mucocystitis in the left foot shoulder, he was put on the injured list on July 30 and underwent rehabilitation for about a month.




In the process, Kim Hye-sung returned to the Dodgers roster on the 2nd after completing the minor league triple-A rehabilitation game well. He played as a pinch runner in his return match and scored with a quick base run. He then made his first start since being injured as the seventh second baseman against the Pittsburgh Pirates on the 5th. However, after showing sluggish performance with one strikeout and four at-bats in the game, his batting average for the season fell below 300.

First at-bat strikeout → What's wrong with Kim Hye-sung as a substitute? Coach Roberts, who brought up the platoon, lost his composure amid the team's sluggish performance
He then started for the second time against Baltimore on the 6th, but struck out swinging in his first at-bat in the top of the third inning. Kim Hye-sung, who met Baltimore right-hander Dean Kremer, just watched the low four-seam fastball (93.7 miles) on the outside for the fourth time in the ball count 2B1S. He then struck out swinging on a 79.5 mile curve that fell low toward his body for the fifth pitch.

He was helplessly beaten by the traditional off-speed changeup repertoire of falling off-speed pitches following a fastball to the outside and body courses. This reduced Kim's batting average for the season from 0.294 to 0.292 (42 hits in 144 times at bat).




Although he struck out swinging, it was only the result of his first at-bat. Considering Roberts' style so far and Kim Hye-sung's defense importance, it was expected that he would appear at the batter's box at least once or twice more.

However, Roberts made a quick decision. Kim Hye-sung's second at-bat came back in the top of the fourth inning with two outs and runners on the first and second bases, and Roberts sent out pinch-hitter Kiké Hernández. It is analyzed that it takes into account the fact that the opposing pitcher is left-hander Detrick Ens. Kremer, who was a Baltimore starter on the day, had no hit, one walk, and four outings until the third inning, but suddenly felt uncomfortable with his right forearm and was replaced by Ens in the top of the fourth inning.

First at-bat strikeout → What's wrong with Kim Hye-sung as a substitute? Coach Roberts, who brought up the platoon, lost his composure amid the team's sluggish performance
When Ence faced a crisis with two outs and runners on first and second bases, Roberts used a pinch-hit operation. Right-handed batter Kique Hernandez came to the plate instead of left-handed batter Kim Hye-sung. It is a typical 'left-right play replacement pattern'. However, Kim Hye-sung was showing a stat that he was not weak against left-handed pitchers. Before the game, the batting average against left-handed pitchers was 0.368 (7 hits in 19 at-bats), higher than the batting average against right-handed pitchers of 0.280 (35 hits in 125 at-bats).




In particular, Kim Hye-sung faced Ens, who played for the LG Twins last year, 12 times in KBO, showing a strong performance with a batting average of 0.333 (4 hits in 12 at-bats) and two RBIs.

Still, Roberts did not trust Kim Hye-sung. The decisive factor seems to be the lackluster performance in six at-bats since returning from injury. Hernandez, who went out instead of Kim Hye-sung, walked and loaded the bases with two outs. The pinch-hitting operation was not a huge success, but it produced some results. Crucially, however, the Dodgers did not score. The next batter Dalton Rushing struck out swinging and blew the bases-loaded chance.

In the end, the Dodgers, who missed the first chance, lost 1-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning with a walk-off home run by Baltimore catcher Samuel Vasalo.

As a result, the Dodgers have been in a slump of 4 wins and 6 losses in 10 games, including the last four consecutive losses, facing another crisis for No. 1 Mercury in the National League West. It is only two games away from the second-place San Diego Padres. San Diego has also been sluggish with two wins and eight losses in 10 games, including its last five consecutive losses, precariously maintaining the Dodgers' lead. Roberts' impatience rather puts the team in crisis.



Reporter Lee Won-man wman@sportschosun.com



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.