The Los Angeles Dodgers' Kim Hye-seong (26) was not included in the opening roster. He will start the season in Triple-A without resolving questions about his hitting.

The Dodgers announced roster changes on the 12th (Korea Standard Time) after finishing a spring training game against the Cleveland Guardians. Infielder Kim Hye-seong and pitcher Bobby Miller were sent down to Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers through minor options, while pitcher Giovanni Gallegos, catcher Dalton Rushing, infielder David VOTY, Michael Chavis, and outfielder Eddie Rosario were reassigned to minor league camp.

On that day, Kim Hye-seong, who came in as a substitute, went 0-for-2. In 15 spring training games, he batted .267 (6 hits in 29 at-bats) with 1 home run, 3 RBIs, 6 runs scored, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts, and 2 stolen bases, with an on-base percentage of .303, slugging percentage of .310, and OPS of .613. In March, he showed improvement with a batting average of .333 (5 hits in 15 at-bats) and 1 home run over 9 games, but he could not overcome his struggles in the first 6 games of February, where he batted .071 (1 hit in 14 at-bats).

MLB Trade Rumors reported about Kim Hye-seong's minor league assignment, stating, "Kim Hye-seong entered camp as a second base candidate. The Dodgers signed Kim Hye-seong for a relatively low amount of $12.5 million for 3 years, but a few days later traded Gavin Lux to the Cincinnati Reds. It opened the path for Kim Hye-seong to become the starting keystone, but the Dodgers were concerned whether his hitting could improve in time for the season opener."

It continued, "Kim Hye-seong's offensive ability had been in question since his time in Korea. Evaluators regard him as a good baserunner and a plus defender. He recorded a career batting average of .340 over 8 seasons in the KBO League, but his power was not threatening. Last year, 11 home runs was a career high," pointing out that it was uncertain whether Kim Hye-seong's hitting, particularly his power, would be effective in Major League Baseball since his KBO League days.

Ultimately, the concerns became a reality. Since the beginning of spring training, the Dodgers overhauled Kim Hye-seong's batting form. They changed everything from his upper and lower body movements to his swing trajectory to adapt to Major League fastballs and right-handed pitchers' changeups, which are faster than those he faced in Korea. However, there simply was not enough physical time to achieve results immediately with the altered form. Recently, he demonstrated improvement in handling fastballs, but the Dodgers did not include Kim Hye-seong in the opening roster of 26 players or the additional 5 reserve players for their trip to Japan.

Despite sending Kim Hye-seong down to Triple-A, the Dodgers have many options at second base. MLB Trade Rumors noted, "Although Kim Hye-seong will start in the minor leagues, Manager Dave Roberts has some flexibility at second base. One of the utility players like Miguel Rojas, Kiké Hernández, or Chris Taylor could be used at second base. Tommy Edman could be recalled from center field to second base, creating an opening for either Andy Pages or James Outman in center field."

With as many as 4 utility players capable of playing second base, the Dodgers were able to send Kim Hye-seong to Triple-A without much concern. Now with the Dodgers, termed a 'championship team,' Kim Hye-seong must accept this situation after being prepared for competition.

Although he did not make the opening roster, he has gained time to refine his batting form in Triple-A. Staying in Arizona to focus on correcting his batting form rather than wasting a week on the trip to Japan may be the path to a quick call-up for the Triple-A season.

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