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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that utility star Hyeseong Kim was demoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City after the Korean “lost his legs” in his swing.
On Friday, before the start of the series against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Dodgers announced the move down for Kim and the return of utility infielder Santiago Espinal, who was re-signed to the team after the injury to **** Hernandez.
Kim has been hitting .186/.250/.186 over his last 15 games, with 16 strikeouts, four walks, three RBIs, and eight hits.
He played all over the field for the Dodgers, slotting in at second base, shortstop, and left field. He was initially brought up to replace Mookie Betts, then stuck around and led to Alex Freeland getting the boot down to the minor leagues.
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May 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim (6) tosses to first for the out against Colorado Rockies designated hitter Troy Johnston (20) during the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
This move is not a total surprise, especially with Kim’s struggles, but after the re-injury of **** Hernandez and Teoscar Hernandez, it looked like Kim was going to get a good runway to break out of his slump.
However, the Dodgers are hoping to give Kim more consistent playing time in the minor leagues, where he will play every day and can iron out his mechanics.
Why did the Dodgers move Hyeseong Kim down?
Roberts outlined the specifics of Kim’s swing changes that led to his demotion.
“I think his swing has changed. I think he’s losing his legs a little bit. I think that coming around the ball a little bit. There’s a lot more swing and miss than there was early,” Roberts said to reporters.
“I think he’s just playing a little bit with my eyes, a little bit more tentative and not as free and easy as he was in some parts of last year and early on. So I think that just kind of getting him back to playing every day, a little bit less of a hot box. He’ll perform back to where he can and will. And so that’s kind of what we’re hoping for.”
While not what Kim fans want to hear, there is a good deal of logic behind what Dave Roberts said. The role of a bench player can be rough, especially for a player trying to get acclimated to the majors and stateside baseball.
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Mar 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim (6) hits against the Athletics in the first inning at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
More time in OKC to get his swing down will help him in the long run and should make him the top option in case of any other injuries or slumps down the line.
Kim will be back with the Dodgers; at this point, it is only a matter of when.
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