Dave Roberts Explains Alex Freeland and Hyeseong Kim Roster Decision

The Los Angeles Dodgers broke camp with one final roster decision to make for Opening Day, and that arrived Saturday when Hyeseong Kim was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Kim had been in a roster battle with Alex Freeland to be the left-handed hitting platoon option at second base. Miguel Rojas and Santiago Espinal are expected to see time there as well.

Of course, this is all a contingency plan until Tommy Edman is ready to return from right ankle surgery.

Why the Dodgers chose Alex Freeland over Hyeseong Kim

Kim appeared to have the inside track for a spot on the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, so the decision to go with Freeland came as a mild surprise. But the reality is neither player ran away with the opportunity, and the Dodgers ultimately arrived at a choice they believe will be beneficial for all.

"It was probably the toughest decision of the spring," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on SportsNet LA broadcast. "There's no doubt that Hyeseong at some point is going to come help us out.

"I think the driver as far as the outset, is giving Hyeseong the opportunity to play every day, play all over the diamond; he's going to play some short, some center, some second base there. Whereas here, he wouldn't have the runway to play more frequently.

"I think with Alex, what he's done in Triple-A already, he's played well there and there's really nothing left for him to prove there. So I think for us to give him a little bit of runway to see what we have in him, give him an opportunity to play here for us against right-handed pitching and just kind of see where it goes.

"But again, it's really not an indictment on Hyeseong at all. Like I said, we think the world of him as a player, as a teammate, and expect him to help us at some point."

Before leaving camp, Kim went 9-for-13 with a 1.154 on-base plus slugging percentage, one home run and five RBI across five Cactus League games. After returning to the Dodgers lineup, Kim went on a five-game hitting streak while also adding three stolen bases.

Upon getting back from the World Baseball Classic, Kim acknowledged his need to fare better offensively for the Dodgers than he did in the tournament. Roberts previously remarked that Kim's swing was "out of sync" during the World Baseball Classic.

Meanwhile, Freeland has hit just .116 during Spring Training, but did draw 11 walks. He also had 11 strikeouts compared to Kim's 14.