New Los Angeles Dodgers Infielder Turning Heads Because of His Defense

Hye-seong Kim, who comes to the Dodgers from Korea, is reportedly an excellent defender at second base. Manager Dave Roberts says he thinks Kim can change games just on that side of the ball.

Team South Korea infielder Hyeseong Kim (3) hits a single in the third inning against USA in a baseball semifinal match during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Yokohama Baseball Stadium in 2021. | Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn Images

New Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Hye-seong Kim is turning heads early in spring training because of his defensive prowess.

Manager Dave Roberts said that he thinks that Kim can win a few games defensively for the team. And for a group looking to get the No. 1 seed in the National League playoffs and another World Series, that could be big.

Hyeseong Kim's glove work is drawing raves from @Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

(MLB x @TMobile) pic.twitter.com/shRmRiAKZu

— MLB (@MLB) February 18, 2025

Kim signed with the Dodgers back in January after coming over from the KBO. He picked the Dodgers over teams like the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels.

A solid contact hitter and a solid runner, Kim is known for his glovework at second base. It's unclear exactly how the Dodgers plan to deploy him, as they have an already-loaded roster.

Mookie Betts, Enrique Hernandez and Miguel Rojas are also middle infield options for Roberts.

The Dodgers won the World Series last year in five games, making them a magnet for players in free agency this offseason. In addition to Kim, they brought in Blake Snell, Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott this winter. They also brought in Michael Conforto and re-signed Teoscar Hernandez, while giving a massive extension to Tommy Edman.

The Dodgers will begin Cactus League play later this week and will open up the regular season on March 27 when they take on the Detroit Tigers.

That will be an interesting series to open the year, as the Dodgers will get a look at American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, and they'll also see Jack Flaherty, who helped them win the World Series last year.

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