The Los Angeles Dodgers needed an answer after Andy Paredes went on the injured list on August 23, but Hyeseong Kim was not the one they chose. Instead, the Dodgers called up Alex Thomas from Triple-A, a move that showed how much Kim's recent production had slipped.
Kim had been aiming to get back to Major League Baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers, especially with an outfield opening to fill and more offense needed. He can play both infield and outfield positions, and in the minors he has handled center field, left field and second base. That versatility made him a logical candidate for a promotion when the roster need surfaced.
Why Kim was passed over
The issue was his bat. On August 22, Kim started as the sixth hitter and second baseman in a minor league game and went hitless in five at-bats. More broadly, he hit just.169 in August, a stretch that made it harder for the Dodgers to justify bringing him up immediately.
For a player trying to force his way back onto a major league roster, timing matters. Kim had 11 hits in 65 at-bats during the month, and that kind of production did not match the urgency of the Dodgers' roster need.
What the Dodgers did instead
The Dodgers turned to Alex Thomas after Paredes was hurt when a 100 mph fastball struck the back of his hand against the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 22. Paredes suffered a fractured wrist, and the club acted quickly to replace him. Starting in September, the major league roster will expand from 26 to 28 players, but this move came before that window opened.
That leaves Kim waiting for another opening. The Dodgers still may value his defensive flexibility, but after his August slump, the immediate path back is less clear. For now, the roster decision belonged to Thomas, not Kim.
