The Dodgers are back in a familiar spot with Hyeseong Kim: waiting, watching, and still not quite sure what to do with him.
That’s a strange place to be for a player Los Angeles committed to with a guaranteed four-year, $12.5 million contract. Kim arrived in 2025 and immediately won over fans with a simple, useful profile - contact, speed, and defensive versatility.
But even then, the Dodgers never looked fully sold on whether his bat would hold up enough for everyday value. He opened his rookie year in Triple-A, got his first major league look in May, and stayed on the roster through the end of the season.
This year followed a similar script. Kim began the 2026 season back in Triple-A after losing the second base competition in spring training. He was recalled earlier than before, in April, but his stay lasted less than two months before he was sent back down at the end of May.
Now the Dodgers’ offense has taken a hit with Andy Pages landing on the IL with a hand fracture. Los Angeles is hoping Pages can return before the regular season ends, but there’s no guarantee he’ll come back looking like the same hitter.
Even with that opening, Kim wasn’t the answer. The Dodgers chose Alek Thomas instead, and the former Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder has been productive since arriving on August 22. If that production fades, the question will hang there again: does Kim get another shot in Los Angeles?
For now, the Triple-A numbers don’t make a strong case. Kim is still doing what he’s always done - hitting for average and stealing bases - but the power remains light.
He’s slugging just .356 in 72 games in Oklahoma City. That isn’t exactly a surprise, either.
He wasn’t a power bat in the KBO, and that part of his game was never going to suddenly appear.
The signing has started to look like an unusual miss for a Dodgers front office that usually leans toward more complete players rather than one-dimensional types. With utility options already crowding the roster, it was never obvious where Kim fit, especially once the Dodgers seemed unconvinced from the start. He got some opportunity while Tommy Edman was injured, but he never did enough to lock down a major league spot.
For a team with bigger ambitions and deeper pockets, letting a $12.5 million player spend long stretches in Triple-A may not matter much. But it does sting a little for the fans who thought Kim could become more than this. The Dodgers also may have missed their best chance to move him at the trade deadline, and that could be something they revisit in the offseason.
In Other News...
Dodgers Prospect Is Making Himself Hard To Ignore Amid Farm System Shakeup
The Dodgers farm system had a little of everything on Thursday, with the upper levels taking some hits while the lower levels supplied the brighter moments. Triple-A Oklahoma City and Double-A Tulsa both ended the day with losses, but High-A Great Lakes got a lift from Charles Davalan, who homered in the Loons win over the Lugnuts and continued to make his name worth tracking in an organization that is constantly shuffling talent up and down the ladder.
There was plenty of movement elsewhere, too, which is part of life in this system when injuries and promotions start rippling through the roster. Tulsa activated left-hander Wyatt Crowell from the injured list, Oklahoma City put Landon Knack on the injured list, and reliever Seth Halvorsen was summoned to the major league club, leaving the next wave of prospects with a little more room to push for attention. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Add Intriguing Infield Depth As Wild Card Pressure Builds
The Dodgers have already leaned on a deep cast this season, cycling through 29 pitchers and 22 position players as injuries have kept catcher Will Smith and infielder Tommy Edman out of the mix at different points. Along the way, the club moved on from catcher Chuckie Robinson and infielder Santiago Espinal, two veterans who quickly found new homes after clearing waivers and hitting the market.
Robinson has since turned up with the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers in the Braves system, while Espinal landed in the Diamondbacks organization and has already gotten game action with their minor league club. For Los Angeles, it is another reminder of how fragile depth can be this time of year, especially with the stretch run tightening for teams chasing a Wild Card spot and every roster move carrying a little more weight. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Will Be Watching Matthew Skubal For One Big Reason
Matthew Skubals first month in a Dodgers uniform has already given the club plenty to feel good about. After the recent acquisition earned his first win by striking out 11 Pirates, he now heads into a much more personal assignment as Los Angeles prepares to play in Detroit, where he will face the team he just left behind.
Skubals matchup with his former club gives this road trip a little extra edge, especially with Detroit still sorting through its own pitching picture. Anderson has been part of that conversation, and the Tigers also dealt Casey Mize to the Padres, leaving the staff in a different shape than it was when Skubal was still there. For Dodgers fans, the bigger question is how their newest arm handles the spotlight when the opponent knows him best. [Read more 🡒]