The Dodgers brought Hyeseong Kim back on Monday, and the timing points toward a bigger goal than just filling out the active roster. With the NLDS roster picture coming into focus, the move gives Kim a shot to spend the bye week with the club and make his case for October.
Manager Dave Roberts had already opened the door for that possibility earlier in the month.
“They’re in the postseason right now, but my expectation is Hyeseong will be here during the off week and potentially be a conversation for the postseason,” Roberts said. “He has the ability to run, play defense and steal a base. He’s in the conversation."
That’s the lane Kim is trying to win. He spent most of the season in the minors, and while the Dodgers’ plan to bring him back was expected, his return still matters because it gives him a chance to show he belongs on the postseason roster.
The numbers explain why this is even a debate. Kim played in 43 MLB games this year and hit .651 OPS with the big league club, a step down from the .699 mark he posted in 2025. His glove also didn’t look quite as sharp during that stretch.
Still, Kim’s appeal is easy to identify. Over 114 MLB games, he hasn’t put up big offensive production, but he does bring speed and a plus glove. That makes him useful in October as a defensive replacement or a pinch runner.
Roberts made it clear what he wants to see before committing to Kim for the postseason.
“For Hyeseong, it’s the at-bat consistency,” Roberts said. "I don’t think his offense has been consistent.
For us, the at-bat quality-for example-that Alex Freeland is giving us has been very good. For Hyeseong, just trying to find something consistent and perform consistently, and to be quite frank he just hasn’t been as consistent as he can be.
But if he can get more consistent with a bat, then he can be a big piece.”
Kim isn’t the only player in the mix. The Dodgers have a crowded infield, and the competition for that final type of roster spot is real.
Alex Call is one of the names lurking here. He stayed with the team during last year’s World Series run and spent all of 2026 in the majors. Call is only a bit slower than Kim, gets on base at a better clip, and doesn’t create as much positional overlap.
So if the Dodgers decide they want more than a one-dimensional pinch-running option for October, Kim could get edged out in favor of Call.
In Other News...
Dodgers Face Two Crucial NLDS Questions During Bye Week
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Freddie Freeman Enters October With One Huge Dodgers Question
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For a Dodgers team chasing a third straight title, Freemans timing matters as much as his health. He has kept the focus on the immediate series in front of him instead of the larger championship picture, which is the right message for this time of year, but it also leaves the bigger question intact: how close is he to being the version of himself Los Angeles needs once October pressure really starts to build? [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Are Already Shaping A Phillies NLDS Problem
The Dodgers are in wait-and-see mode as they prepare for the National League Division Series, with the winner of the Braves-Phillies wild-card matchup set to decide who lines up against them next. Dave Roberts has not yet named his starting pitchers, but hes already sketching out how Los Angeles could piece together its rotation depending on how the series unfolds, with Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tarik Skubal all part of the conversation.
For the Dodgers, the bigger picture is less about the unknown opponent than the confidence in their own staff. Players have spoken openly about trusting the starting pitching group as October gets going, and that belief matters when a club is trying to map out a short series against a team still fighting to advance. The next move may depend on how quickly the wild-card round ends, but the Dodgers are clearly bracing for a pitching plan that could shape the matchup from the start. [Read more 🡒]