LOS ANGELES — In an era of home runs and slugging percentage, Hyeseong Kim’s staying power comes from a sprinkle of this, a dash of that and a little magic at just the right times.
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Another in a long line of versatile Dodgers players, Kim continues to stay on the active roster by developing into the mortar that helps bond the powerful building blocks in the locker room.
When shortstop Mookie Betts went on the injured list just 12 days into the season, Kim got the call to join the club from Triple-A Oklahoma City and provided a spark for an offense that needed one.
When Betts returned earlier this month, it was Alex Freeland who was optioned allowing the hot-hitting Kim to retain his roster spot.
When Kiké Hernandez was activated for the first time on Monday, it was Santiago Espinal who was designated for assignment, while Kim continued to survive another roster tweak.
Asked about roster pressure this week, Kim listened to the question with a smile and didn’t show the slightest bit of stress.
“As a baseball player, it’s my job to produce, so I’m always focused on producing numbers, and just given the situation, I try not to think about it too much,” Kim said through an interpreter. “Just keep working hard and keep producing as best I can.”
Except that ignoring roster scenarios is not as easy as it might seem. New Dodgers left-hander Eric Lauer said he probably hurt himself by thinking too much about how his performances might affect his roster standing with the Toronto Blue Jays.
It only got worse for Lauer as he struggled to start the season, allowing seven runs over 5⅓ innings in a start against the Minnesota Twins on April 11. His time with the Blue Jays ended after he was designated for assignment, following a relief appearance earlier this month when he gave up six runs in five innings to the Angels, then acquired by the Dodgers.
“It was always like looking over my shoulder,” Lauer said of dealing with roster competition.
And that perspective is from a player in his eighth major-league season.
Keeping Kim and losing Espinal to a DFA earlier this week looked dubious when Hernandez went down with another injury on Tuesday. Espinal lost his roster spot because his skill set was similar to Hernandez’s. Now, neither of those players is available.
And yet Kim has continued to find a way to make himself valuable. When Teoscar Hernandez departed Wednesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies with a hamstring injury, Kim stepped in to see action in left field for the first time in two seasons as a major leaguer.
In the seventh inning, his fifth inning as a major-league left fielder, Kim sprinted to the railing in foul territory and made a reaching catch up against the padded barrier. At the time, it left the Dodgers eight outs away from a combined no-hitter. The Rockies avoided that no-hitter one inning later.
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Kim made the play, in part, because of his speed, which is at a level that few possess. And while a power bat is king in baseball, speed becomes a valuable commodity when October rolls around.
Kim was only added back to the Dodgers’ roster last season when rosters expanded in September. But he still was on the team throughout the playoffs thanks to the potential need for speed and versatility.
He played in just two playoff games as a late-inning substitute, but one was Game 7 of the World Series as a sub at second base for an injured Miguel Rojas, putting him on the field for the title-clinching final three outs and making a putout in the process.
And yet his biggest World Series contribution might have come in a moment of levity before Game 6 when the Dodgers needed two victories at Toronto in order to win the title. In a foot race on the bases against Dave Roberts, the manager took a spill as Kim was passing him at second base.
“This is what we needed,” one Dodgers player said at the time.
Another player agreed.
There is something about having Kim on the roster that makes sense for the Dodgers, even as he is in a 16-game skid where he is batting .174 with a .250 on-base percentage. He was holding a .314 batting average and a .372 OBP through his first 26 games.
Roberts noted that Kim has been chasing pitches out of the strike zone of late.
“I definitely agree with him,” Kim said. “I think when I’m not feeling the best, I definitely tend to chase around, and maybe go after pitches that are not in my zone a little bit. So I am very well aware of that and I will try to work on that.”
There are signs he is waiting for pitches to come to him again. In the process, that speed is also making a difference.
Kim had a hit and a walk in Monday’s victory over the Rockies, his speed allowing him to score from first base on a double from Kiké Hernandez and come home with ease on a fly ball from Betts that tied the score in the seventh inning.
Kim added another hit after replacing Teo Hernandez in Wednesday’s win.
For now, the Dodgers will give Freeland the bulk of the playing time at second base. In the meantime, Kim is trying to keep a steady, confident approach knowing he has some roster staying power.
“The only difference is the result,” Kim said about his hot start and recent struggles. “As the season goes, obviously there are going to be ups and downs. I need to recognize what I need to keep working on and keep working on that throughout the season.”
UP NEXT
Phillies (RHP Zack Wheeler, 4-0, 1.67 ERA) at Dodgers (LHP Justin Wrobleski, 6-2, 3.07 ERA), Friday, 7:15 p.m., Apple TV, 570 AM
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