Checking in on Hyeseong Kim as Dodgers cope with Andy Pages' absence

For a player the Los Angeles Dodgers signed to a guaranteed four-year, $12.5 million contract, they sure don't seem to like Hyeseong Kim very much.

When Kim debuted in 2025, he instantly became a fan favorite as a contact-hitting, speedy, versatile defensive utility man. But the Dodgers were obviously never fully convinced of his ability to contribute to their offense from the get-go, and he started his rookie season in Triple-A before getting his first look at the major leagues in May and remaining on the roster through the end of the season.

He began the 2026 season back in Triple-A after losing the second base battle in spring training. Although he received a call-up earlier this time, in April, he lasted less than two months before being banished to the minors again at the end of May, seemingly with no end in sight.

But the Dodgers offense just suffered perhaps its worse loss of the year, with Andy Pages going onto the IL with a hand fracture. Los Angeles is hopeful he'll be back before the end of the regular season, but there's no promises he'll look like the same hitter.

Kim was passed over as the Dodgers' replacement for Pages; they turned instead to former Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas. He has been productive since coming up on August 22, but if that disappears, will it finally be time for the Comet to come back to LA?

Hyeseong Kim's contract is turning out to be a rare error for the Dodgers

Based on how he's been playing in Triple-A, the answer is probably not.

As usual, Kim is hitting for average and is stealing bases, but the power is sorely lacking. He's slugging just .356 in 72 games in Oklahoma City. That was always going to be the case, and the Dodgers should've known what they were getting, given that Kim was never a power hitter in the KBO, either.

The signing was always a little strange and uncharacteristic of the Dodgers, who usually prefer more well-rounded players over specialists like Kim. With a crowded roster that already included some go-to utility men, it was hard to see how he would fit into LA's grand scheme, especially when they seemed so unconvinced of his ability from the beginning. He received some runway while Tommy Edman was injured, but he's never shown enough to stick on the major league roster.

Letting a $12.5 million player live out his days in Triple-A will ultimately be of no consequence to the high-flying Dodgers, but it's disappointing that he hasn't panned out in the way fans hoped. They might've done him an injustice by not dealing him at the trade deadline, but that could be an avenue they have to consider in the offseason.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow