Los Angeles Dodgers' Kim Hye-sung was silent once again. There were no balls extending into the outfield, and all the balls were trapped in the infield, particularly on the first base side. Though going through a transition period, there is little time left in the game.

Kim Hye-sung replaced in the spring training exhibition game against the Texas Rangers held on the 7th (Korean time) at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona, recorded no hits in two at-bats.

On that day, Kim Hye-sung was excluded from the starting lineup. The Dodgers established a starting lineup consisting of Shohei Ohtani (designated hitter), Mookie Betts (shortstop), Freddie Freeman (first baseman), Teoscar Hernández (right fielder), Max Muncy (third baseman), Will Smith (catcher), Michael Conforto (left fielder), Tommy Edman (center fielder), and Miguel Rojas (second baseman).

In the sixth inning, Kim Hye-sung was brought into the game as a defensive substitute for shortstop Mookie Betts. Defensively, he was inserted as a shortstop. Following Tommy Edman's two-run homer, Kim Hye-sung came up for his first at-bat with a score of 6-2.

On the mound was left-hander Walter Pennington. He pitched in 16 games last year, recording one win and an earned run average of 3.00 (18 innings, six earned runs).

He watched the first pitch as a ball and swung and missed at the second pitch, which was an 83.6-mile slider. He then watched the third pitch, an outside 85.4-mile slider, but was called a strike. From Kim Hye-sung's perspective, the pitch looked distant. He requested confirmation from the bench on whether it was a strike. It was confirmed that the pitch crossed the outside zone according to the Automated Ball Strike system.

Afterwards, he cut the fourth pitch, an 85.3-mile slider, and the fifth pitch, a 92-mile sinker, but on the sixth pitch, he hit an 85.2-mile slider down the middle, resulting in a ground ball to the first baseman. Kim Hye-sung sprinted, but the pitcher covering the BASS was a hair quicker.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, leading 8-4 with two outs and runners on first and second base, he came up for his second at-bat. The pitcher changed to right-hander Payton Gray. After watching the first pitch, an 82.8-mile changeup as a ball, he swung and missed at a 93-mile four-seam fastball and fouled an 83-mile changeup. He then worked a seven-pitch at-bat, selecting two more balls and fouling another. However, on the seventh pitch, he touched an 82.9-mile changeup, resulting in another ground ball to the first baseman.

The day before (the 6th), Kim Hye-sung had recorded an infield single against the Los Angeles Angels, marking his second hit after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants on the 2nd. However, on this day, Kim Hye-sung again could not make solid contact. He continued to work the pitch count well, but there were still regrets. His batting average in spring training has dropped to .143.

Kim Hye-sung is undergoing a comprehensive revision of his batting form. In an interview with The Athletic on the 1st, he stated, "The completeness of my batting form is about 20-30% right now," and after hitting a home run on the 2nd, he mentioned The Athletic's report, saying, "I feel better than before. My ability to see the ball has also improved. I think I am about 40% there now. I can see the ball better than I could yesterday, so I feel like I am making progress."

After hitting a single on the 2nd, 'Dodgers Way,' which reports on Dodgers news, mentioned, "As spring for the Dodgers is set to begin, Kim Hye-sung's batting mechanism will drastically change," noting, "While maintaining the accuracy he showed in the Korea Baseball Organization, he focused on improving his power. The Dodgers will finally see the results of Kim Hye-sung's efforts."

However, Kim Hye-sung's batted balls have seldom extended into the outfield and are mostly trapped in the infield, particularly directed towards first and second base. On this day, both of his balls were directed towards the first baseman. The previous day's infield single was also towards the first baseman. Apart from the home run, the distribution of his batted balls has seen none go to the outfield, with most trapped balls heading towards first and second base. It can be considered a transition period due to the revision of his batting form and adaptation, but Kim Hye-sung has little time remaining.

The Dodgers will have their opening series against the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome on the 18th and 19th. With just over ten days remaining, Kim Hye-sung still has not instilled confidence. The Dodgers have five spring games remaining: on the 8th against the Seattle Mariners, on the 9th against the Chicago White Sox, on the 10th against the Oakland Athletics, on the 11th against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and on the 12th against the Cleveland Guardians before moving to Tokyo.

The game ended with the Dodgers winning 8-4. Dustin May, who had undergone two elbow surgeries and suffered a bizarre injury last year when he burst his esophagus while eating salad, threw three innings, allowing one hit, two walks, and striking out three without allowing a run.

Ohtani went 2-for-4 with one run scored, boosting his batting performance, while Freeman hit a home run. Michael Conforto had a standout performance, going 3-for-3 with two runs scored, and Tommy Edman also hit a home run.

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