Kim Hye-sung (27), who plays for the Oklahoma City Dodgers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has once again missed out on a promotion to Major League Baseball (MLB).
Shohei Ohtani (32) is set to be placed on the injured list, with the Dodgers opting to call up promising prospect Luis De Paula (21) instead of Kim.
Following the game against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated that it believes placing Ohtani on the injured list is the right decision. There’s still time before the postseason, and it’s confident he’ll return in much better shape.
The Dodgers have no game scheduled for Friday and will face the Miami Marlins on the road on September 12. Accordingly, Ohtani is expected to be placed on the 15-day injured list.
Ohtani has been struggling recently with issues in his left knee, right arm, and neck. His performance has dipped significantly in August, hitting just two home runs and seeing his batting average drop to .277.
He has also missed six of the team’s last seven games, indicating a need for recovery time.
Ohtani’s stint on the injured list will be retroactive, with a planned return for the home game against the San Diego Padres on September 23.
Despite the roster spot opening up due to Ohtani’s absence, Kim has been overlooked once again. In a surprising move, the Dodgers have decided to call up De Paula from their Double-A affiliate, the Tulsa Drillers.
De Paula, who signed with the Dodgers for approximately 400,000 USD in 2022, is considered the team’s top prospect. This season in Double-A, he has impressed with a .303 batting average, 27 home runs, 104 run batted ins (RBIs), 106 runs scored, 31 stolen bases, and a .948 on-based plus slugging (OPS) over 124 games.
The Dodgers previously protected De Paula when acquiring Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers in a trade.
Kim, who contributed to the team’s World Series championship last year as a substitute player, now faces even slimmer chances of making the postseason roster.
Earlier this season, Kim played 43 games in the majors, posting a .259 batting average with one home run, 11 RBIs, 16 runs scored, five stolen bases, and a .650 OPS before being demoted to Triple-A on May 30.
Despite his efforts to earn a promotion back to the majors, Kim has consistently fallen short. He was passed over even when the expanded roster was implemented on September 2, which added two spots.
What might have been his final opportunity – filling in for Ohtani’s injured list placement – was given to a highly touted prospect with no big league experience.
While Kim must remain on standby due to potential injuries during the postseason, his future with the Dodgers currently looks uncertain.
Kim’s performance in Triple-A has also been underwhelming. In 81 games, he has posted a .268 batting average with three home runs, 29 RBIs, 56 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, and a .688 OPS.
Although Kim’s versatility in playing second base, shortstop, and outfield is an asset, his recent defensive struggles – committing five errors in his last five games – have raised concerns about his reliability.