Hyeseong Kim Opens Up About Being Left Off Dodgers' Opening Day Roster

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Hyeseong Kim was on a mission this spring.

He pledged to fans that his No. 1 goal was making the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, which is no easy feat with MVPs and All-Stars occupying much of the team.

Kim had spent camp vying for the final roster spot, but LA ultimately chose to have former top prospect Alex Freeland as the second base option to start the 2026 season.

The Dodgers fan favorite thus penned a message to his fans following the news that he would open the season in the minors.

“Hello, fans,” Kim wrote on social media. “I mentioned that my biggest goal for this season was to make the opening roster and show my face in the major leagues throughout the year, but I feel so sorry for not being able to keep that promise right from the start. Still, since the season is long, I’ll work hard to perform well, get called up quickly, and show you all my active presence in the major leagues. Thank you.”

Kim, now back with the Dodgers as a replacement for the injured Mookie Betts, recently revealed he did feel discouraged by the decision from the Dodgers to open the 2026 campaign without him.

“I wouldn’t say I was disappointed,” Kim said through his interpreter, Dean Kim, to the California Post.

“But I was a little down.”

The former KBO infielder is an elite defender who won four Gold Glove awards overseas, but his bat was always the question when he signed a three-year, $12.5 million deal last winter with the Dodgers.

In his sophomore year with LA, the Dodgers were still looking for Kim to find more familiarity at the plate as he made second-year swing adjustments. More time in the minors to begin 2026 would give Kim consistent at-bats to work through those changes.

“When we had the meeting with the front office and coaches, I knew exactly what I needed to work on,” Kim said. “I just felt like I needed to work harder to fix those problems.”

Manager Dave Roberts revealed his toughest decision in camp was choosing who would occupy the final spot on the roster.

“It was probably the toughest decision of the spring,” Roberts said of sending Kim to the minor leagues this spring. “There’s no doubt that Hyeseong at some point is going to come help us out."

Roberts was right.

As Kim continued working to make progress with the Oklahoma City Comets, the Dodgers needed a replacement for Betts, who landed on the injured list with a right oblique strain.

Just a few weeks into the 2026 season, the Dodgers called on Kim to be an infield platoon option for the team.

Thus far, the infielder has delivered.

Hyeseong Kim just hit his first home run of the season for the Dodgers.

He's continuing to take advantage of the opportunity to play after Mookie Betts' injury.

What an impressive start to his season.pic.twitter.com/MxIlpZjsBm
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) April 16, 2026

Kim is hitting .273 with one home run, three RBIs, three stolen bases and an OPS of .848 across 10 games at the big league level this season. He's also played exceptional defense at shortstop, drawing major praise from his manager.

“I always say, I mean, I always think it, it’s just like when he plays, he always does something to help the team win," Roberts said of Kim. "He really does. And it’s good he’s getting some runway."

Once Betts returns from the IL, the Dodgers will have to decide whether to send Kim down to the minors or keep him with the big league team. If he keeps playing like he is now, it's difficult to imagine him going back to Triple-A.

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