Hyeseong Kim's 2026 season did not go as planned. He lost his backup infielder's job to Santiago Espinal in May and never got it back.

The Dodgers optioned Kim to Triple-A Oklahoma City after he collected a .259/.323/.328 slash line in 43 games. No player who made at least 100 plate appearances for the Dodgers this season finished with a lower OPS than Kim (.651).

Kim was on the Dodgers' roster for the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, but made just one appearance as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning of Game 4. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman hinted before the NLDS about what his limited role would look like.

"I think for us on this roster specifically, just his positional versatility and his foot speed," Friedman said. "We have a lot of team strengths, in my mind. Foot speed is not one of them. So there can be opportunities late in games to utilize that in a way to help us score a run."

Kim can already run and field at no worse than a league-average level. For him to hit well enough for the Dodgers to carry his bat on their rosters for the rest of the postseason, Kim will have to learn how to hit Triple-A pitching first.

In 85 games with the Oklahoma City Comets, the Dodgers' top farm team, Kim reached base at a .330 clip. In the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, only two teams finished with a lower OBP than Kim. And only two qualified players finished with a lower slugging percentage than Kim (.345).

Kim doesn't need to hit the ball over the fence to make the most of his talent; he merely needs to put the ball in play. A 24.9% strikeout rate against Triple-A pitching might be fine for a slugger. For Kim, it was abysmal.

"As far as his development, we think really highly of the player," Friedman said. "The swing got a little off this year, and we look forward to getting through this, hopefully winning 11 games this month, and then working over the offseason because we really believe in the ability."

In January 2025, the Dodgers signed Kim to a three-year, $12.5 million contract with team options for 2028 and 2029. The 27-year-old came over from Korea with little assurance of playing time but found his way into 71 games as a rookie.

Mostly on the strength of his glove, Kim accrued 1.7 bWAR in 71 games — nearly a 4-win pace over a full season. If his bat ever comes around, Kim could be a real asset. For now, the Dodgers will take what they can get from his feet.

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