GLENDALE, Ariz. — The road from South Korea to the major leagues could take a detour through the minor leagues for Hyeseong Kim.
The three-year, $12.5 million contract Kim signed with the Dodgers this past winter includes club options for two more years but no protections that would prevent the Dodgers from starting Kim in the minor leagues if they decide the 26-year-old needs more time to adjust to the higher-quality pitching he will be facing in MLB.
“I just think there’s so much unknown between now and Opening Day, seeing how the roster plays out and how he looks,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. “But we’re excited with what he’s brought to the table. The energy, the defense has been really impressive and then the work ethic. He’s really pouring into the adjustments that (hitting coaches) Robert (Van Scoyoc) and (Aaron) Bates have asked him to make.”
Kim’s defense and attitude have gotten high marks throughout camp, but major-league pitching is a significant upgrade over what Kim faced in Korea, where he was a .304 hitter over eight seasons.
“I would say, if there’s one part of it, the question mark, I would say it is the bat,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Kim’s transition to MLB. “The competition is different over there than here. … Obviously he’s going through some swing changes that he believes will help him also make this transition easier and sustainable.
“He bet on himself to come here and to compete, and so right now he’s in a competition to earn a job with us. I would say that that’s still all in play, and we don’t need to make a decision right now, obviously, but I would say that if there’s one thing that … still is in question is the bat. And I think that’s a fair thought on our part.”
While playing second base, shortstop and a little center field in four Cactus League games, Kim has managed just an infield single in nine at-bats while striking out four times and walking twice. Roberts said Kim “looks like he belongs on a major-league field” but acknowledged that more at-bats will likely be needed for him to absorb the adjustments he’s being asked to make.
“The early look at it – I think that there’s significant adjustments with his mechanics that I think will play with velocity, play with late movement, the cut fastball, the changeup vs. right(-handed pitching),” Roberts said. “So he’s just got to have more game repetitions. But the buy-in has been outstanding, and certainly there’s a lot of aptitude with Hyeseong – really smart guy, open guy, really energetic. There’s a lot of things to like.”
If those repetitions come at Triple-A Oklahoma City at least to start the year, it could alleviate some of the overcrowding at the back of the Dodgers’ position-player roster. Tommy Edman could move to second base (where he won a Gold Glove in 2021), freeing up playing time (and a roster spot) for Andy Pages or James Outman in center field. Or Edman could be the primary center fielder with Kiké Hernandez and Chris Taylor manning second base.
“Our hitting guys have been really excited,” Gomes said of Kim’s work with them. “He’s coming in and working really hard and the aptitude is really high. He’s making some of the adjustments they’re looking for him to make to handle big-league pitching.
“He’s on a good track. He looks good. He’s really high energy and fitting in well. We’ll let the spring play out and see how those things progress.”
SASAKI WORK
Roki Sasaki’s first time in a Dodgers uniform facing hitters in opposing uniforms came in a simulated game (no fielders, no baserunning) against minor-league players from the Chicago White Sox camp.
Sasaki threw 38 pitches in three simulated innings, getting four swings-and-misses and striking out one batter. Sasaki’s second pitch of the session was hit over the fence by Kyle Teel, a first-round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox in 2023 who was traded as part of the deal for left-hander Garrett Crochet. Teel split the 2024 season between Double-A and Triple-A in Boston’s system.
Sasaki was expected to throw two innings, but he went back out for a third after throwing 25 pitches in the first two. Roberts said Sasaki’s velocity was in the mid-90s “right where we’d expect” for this point in spring.
“I thought Roki was good,” Roberts said. “Obviously, you just kind of don’t know what to expect, as far as seeing other hitters, but he threw three innings today. Velocity looked good. Thought there was a lot of chase with his split. Mixed in some breaking balls. I’ll talk to him tomorrow to see how he feels. But I think that, talking to our pitching guys, we were pretty pleased with the outing.”
GAME-READY
First baseman Freddie Freeman and catcher Will Smith took live at-bats against minor-league pitchers again Tuesday. Both are expected to see their first game action of the spring on Thursday against the Colorado Rockies. Freeman will DH, Roberts said, while Smith will catch “a few innings.”
Freeman had ankle surgery in November. Smith is dealing with an ankle injury of his own.