LA Dodgers' Kim Hye-seong is showing his presence every moment. Could Kim Hye-seong's greatest weakness paradoxically be becoming a "member team".
On the 11th (Korean time), Kim Hye-seong started at shortstop batting ninth in the Los Angeles Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium in California, U.S., in the 2026 Major League game against the Texas Rangers, going 0-for-1 with one RBI and one strikeout before being replaced.
There were no hits that day. But when the team needed it, he delivered a run with persistent play. In his first plate appearance in the second inning, he struck out swinging. He battled Texas starter Kumar Rocker in a seven-pitch duel that reached 2-2, but he swung and missed at an 87-mile slider that dropped inside and struck out.
Down 2-4 in the fifth, he came to the plate with no outs and runners at first and third after a walk by Andy Pages and a leadoff single to left by Alex Freeland.
At 1-1, Kim Hye-seong fouled off three consecutive pitches to stubbornly work the count. On the sixth pitch he laid off an outside slider. The count became 2-2, and on the seventh pitch he drove an outside 88.7-mile changeup to produce a sacrifice fly to left field. Third-base runner Pages was able to touch home with ease.
It cut the deficit from 2-4 to 3-4. It wasn't an RBI hit, but it produced Kim Hye-seong's first RBI of the season. The Dodgers failed to add runs in the fifth, but Pages hit a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth and a go-ahead two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth as they pulled away 7-4.
Closer Edwin Díaz failed to hold a three-run lead in the top of the ninth, but in the bottom of the ninth Max Muncy hit a walk-off solo homer to secure an 8-7 dramatic victory.
Kim Hye-seong's share of the win that day wasn't large, but that doesn't mean he contributed nothing. In his first plate appearance he swung and missed at a breaking pitch. Manager Dave Roberts has repeatedly expressed concern about Kim Hye-seong's ability to handle breaking balls and his high swing-and-miss rate, stressing that it needs improvement. Kim Hye-seong has been steadily addressing the points raised. He produced a meaningful result in the plate appearance with a persistent battle without swinging and missing.
Major League commentator Ryan M. Spader praised on his social media account, saying, "Kim Hye-seong is amazing. He has been productive immediately after being called up for two straight years," and added, "If it were any of the other 29 teams, he would definitely have been in the opening-day starting lineup."
Blake Harris, who reports Dodgers news, also praised the plate appearance that produced the sacrifice fly on his social media, saying, "Kim Hye-seong's plate appearance was great."
Kang Jung-ho, a former Major Leaguer and a senior from the Heroes, said on his YouTube channel on the 30th of last month, "This is why it's disadvantageous to go to a big-market club. I hope friends who later challenge the U.S. stage will think about this. It's better to play for a team where you can play for three to four years and then receive good treatment than to go to a good team for one or two years and come back," adding, "He chose it himself so there's nothing to be done. Who can you blame? I told him not to go. A trade is the best scenario," expressing regret about Kim Hye-seong's choice of team when he entered the major leagues.
Last year, when Kim Hye-seong challenged the major leagues through posting, he signed with the Dodgers for a guaranteed three years and $12.5 million, up to a maximum of 3+2 years and $22 million. There were concerns about a lack of opportunity to be a regular, and in fact he was left off the opening-day roster for two straight years, last year and this year. In a lineup filled with superstars and prospects, Kim Hye-seong must prove himself in limited opportunities.
Mookie Betts, who was placed on the injured list with an adductor strain, currently has no pain in the injured area. He is also participating in workouts. If Betts returns, it is unclear what situation Kim Hye-seong will face. But Kim Hye-seong is proving his value every time he gets a chance.
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