The Dodgers are still sorting through a handful of postseason questions, and Hyeseong Kim is suddenly right back in the middle of one of them.
Dave Roberts said Kim will be with the club during the off-week and could factor into the playoff picture because of what he brings on the bases and in the field. “My expectation is Hyeseong will be here during the off-week and potentially be a conversation for the postseason - because he has the ability to run, play defense, and steal a base,” Roberts said, “So he's in the conversation, yes.”
That matters because Los Angeles is trying to lock up its first-round bye while also preparing for a 14th straight trip to the postseason. The roster questions are piling up. Shohei Ohtani’s status remains one of them, as do Edwin Díaz, Andy Pages and Roki Sasaki, who could return to his role as the Dodgers’ postseason closer.
Kim’s name resurfacing also says something about the current second-base picture. Alex Freeland may be the most vulnerable player on the active roster, and if he’s left off, it would underline that the job never really had a true winner.
Kim hasn’t been in the majors since early April through late May, when he was brought up to fill in for Mookie Betts after Betts landed on the injured list with an oblique strain. Kim hit .259 with a .651 OPS before going back to Triple-A Oklahoma City, where his numbers haven’t exactly forced the issue either, with a .675 OPS.
Even so, he was part of last year’s postseason roster. His role was limited - a pinch-running appearance in the NLDS and a defensive substitution in the World Series - and he never came to the plate.
Freeland, meanwhile, is making a strong push of his own. He’s batting .375 with a 1.149 OPS over his last seven games, and his on-base ability - the trait that first put him on the map - has started to show up again. In September, he owns a .413 on-base percentage.
So the Dodgers are left with a familiar kind of decision: keep weighing Kim against Freeland, and keep weighing both against the shape of the roster around them. Unless one or both is moved, this is a conversation that could easily carry into next season too.
In Other News...
Dodgers Just Got An October Boost Fans Have Been Waiting For
The Dodgers got a familiar September jolt with two important reinforcements coming off the injured list as the club heads into the final week of the regular season. Dave Roberts said right-hander Tyler Glasnow is healthy and ready to help when October arrives, a welcome development for a team that has spent much of the year trying to keep its pitching group intact for the stretch run.
Los Angeles also had to make room on the roster by sending two players back down, another reminder of how quickly the picture can change at this time of year. Beyond the immediate playoff implications, there is already some offseason intrigue swirling around the Dodgers, with ESPNs Jeff Passan reporting that pitcher Tarik Skubal could be in line for a massive free-agent deal this winter, a detail that will only add to the teams long-term planning conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Just Got A New Reason To Watch Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal showed up at SoFi Stadium on Monday night with another Dodgers star in tow, as he and Mookie Betts took in the Rams-Giants matchup. Skubal was down at field level while Betts watched from a suite that also included Myles Garrett and Aaron Donalds wife, a small but notable reminder that the Dodgers biggest names do not exactly disappear when the baseball schedule pauses.
For Los Angeles, Skubals appearance comes at an interesting moment. He was recently placed on the Dodgers bereavement list and is currently expected to start the final regular-season game, though that could still change. Even with the season winding down, the Dodgers are keeping an eye on anything that might affect the rotation, and a night out around the NFL only added another layer to the intrigue around Skubals week. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Letting Ryan Ward Go Took An Unexpected Turn
Ryan Wards exit from the Dodgers organization moved quickly. Just six days after being designated for assignment, he agreed to a contract with the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball, ending a run that had kept him in the Dodgers system for his entire professional career. It was a familiar kind of roster churn for this time of year, but the destination made the move stand out.
For the Dodgers, Wards recent minor league production had already made his standing uncertain, and the roster rules created an unusual layer to his departure. He was only eligible to play for the Dodgers in the 2026 postseason, which meant Los Angeles still had some control over his future in a narrow sense, even as the organization opened the door for him to continue his career abroad. [Read more 🡒]