Kim Hye-seong of the Los Angeles Dodgers started as a shortstop in the second exhibition game.
The Dodgers will play the Kansas City Royals in a 2025 Major League Baseball exhibition game on the 23rd (Korea time) at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.
On that day, the Dodgers will field a starting lineup including James Outman (center fielder), Teoscar Hernández (right fielder), Max Muncy (third baseman), Eddie Rosario (left fielder), Austin Barnes (designated hitter), David Bote (first baseman), Hunter Feduciah (catcher), Kim Hye-seong (shortstop), and Austin Gottiere (second baseman).
Kansas City's starting pitcher is right-hander Chandler Champlain, a minor league pitcher.
It is notable that Kim Hye-seong is playing in the shortstop position. Kim Hye-seong played as a second baseman in the exhibition season opener against the Chicago Cubs on the 21st. He has been training primarily at the second base position during spring camp. The Dodgers indicated that they plan to use Kim Hye-seong at second base, third base, and center field, but he will play at shortstop on that day.
Starting shortstop Mookie Betts played in both games against the Cubs on the 21st and 22nd. Backup players Miguel Rojas and Tommy Edman appeared in the previous day's game against the Cubs, suggesting they assigned shortstop duties to Kim Hye-seong. Kim Hye-seong played only as a second baseman while with Kiwoom in the KBO League last year. In 2023, he played five games (37.1 innings) as a shortstop.
Kim Hye-seong recorded 1 hitless plate appearance and 1 walk in 2 at-bats in the exhibition game against the Cubs on the 21st. He was disappointed to ground out to third base in a no-outs situation with runners on second and third, but he displayed good plate discipline and focus by watching 13 pitches during his two at-bats. His defense was smooth.
He caught a high fly ball that was hit between the infield and outfield, and calmly fielded a ground ball hit by Michael Bush in the fourth inning, which had a speed of 104.3 miles per hour (167.9 km), throwing it to first base for an out.
Kim Hye-seong walked once in his two plate appearances. He battled through full counts on both occasions. Although he intended to be more selective with the pitches, he didn’t get fooled by any pitches outside the zone. His focus was good.
After the first exhibition game, Kim Hye-seong said, "It was my first game, and even though there were things to regret like getting chances and reaching base, I think it was still fun," adding, "Since there were regrets in the first game, I think I need to think carefully about those regrets and perform without any regrets in the upcoming games." He expressed disappointment at grounding out instead of accomplishing a sacrifice fly in the no-out situation with runners on second and third.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers are on a two-game losing streak after losing both games to the Cubs.
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