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Kim Hye-seong hits his stride in Dodgers' spring win over Diamondbacks

Published: 11 Mar. 2025, 10:19

Kim Hye-seong of the Los Angeles Dodgers prepares for the 2025 MLB season during spring training at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona on Feb. 19. [YONHAP]

Competing for a spot with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Korean rookie Kim Hye-seong has begun showing signs of life at the plate and on basepaths.

Kim recorded a hit and a steal while scoring twice as the Dodgers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona, on Monday.

Kim is now batting .222/.323/.333 in 14 spring training games with six runs scored and two steals.

Kim, who signed with the Dodgers in January after eight years with the Kiwoom Heroes in the KBO, is trying to crack the Dodgers' Opening Day roster for next week. They will open the 2025 regular season with a two-game set against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo scheduled for March 18-19.

Kim entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning as a pinch-runner for Teoscar Hernandez, who had singled to start the frame. Kim then stole second base and advanced to third when Will Smith flied out to left.

Kim then scored on a wild pitch by Listher Sosa to give the Dodgers a 4-1 lead.

Kim singled off Roman Angelo in his first plate appearance in the bottom of the seventh, picking up a hit in consecutive games for the first time in spring training.

Kim reached second on Angelo's wild pitch and came around to score on a double by Hunter Feduccia for a 6-2 Dodgers lead.

Kim took over at shortstop in the top of the sixth and moved to center field in the seventh. The Dodgers are trying to turn Kim, who mostly played second base in recent KBO seasons, into a utility type player. Kim has some experience playing third base, shortstop and corner outfield positions in Korea but had never played in center field until this spring.

With the Dodgers, Kim has logged 39 innings at shortstop, 16 innings at second base and six innings in center field.

Yonhap