Dave Roberts' update on Tommy Edman giving Hyeseong Kim top-notch Dodgers opportunity

Dave Roberts has been stunningly, constantly wrong on the injury-related front lately. He's been overly (mistakenly) optimistic about Tyler Glasnow, Evan Phillips, and Tommy Edman in the last few days alone; he even expressed that optimism re: Glasnow mere hours before the Dodgers shut him down for 10-14 days. On Wednesday, he said that Matt Sauer was only in Miami as part of LA's taxi squad, only for Phillips to go onto the IL a few hours later. The initial line on Edman was that he would come back from an ankle sprain as soon as his 10 days on the IL were up — now, that does not seem to be the case.

On Thursday, Roberts basically said, "Well, actually, never mind" when asked about Edman. He said it was "unlikely" that Edman would return to the team on schedule, noting, "Tommy ran [Friday] and just still didn't feel great, still some soreness in his ankle. Didn't feel he could play tonight or even tomorrow, potentially. So just the backdate, knowing that it's potentially 10 days to make sure he gets it right. We just felt that it was an easier decision."

Of course, injuries are complicated and things can change quickly, but it's unclear if his pronouncements are just very poorly timed, if he really is just overly optimistic, or if the medical staff just doesn't keep him in the loop.

But no matter how you shake it, Edman's not coming back on time. That's a blow for the Dodgers, who are done trouncing Miami and will move on to a more formidable foe in the Diamondbacks, but it does represent a prime opportunity for rookie Hyeseong Kim.

Tommy Edman's delayed return will give Hyeseong Kim even more time to prove he belongs on Dodgers' roster

Kim's already made a nice impression through his first five appearances in the majors. He stole his first base in his second game, and collected his first hit and RBI in his third, which kicked off the beginning of a hitting streak that probably won't last but is certainly promising.

The Dodgers have already used him at second base, shortstop, and in center field. He's still waiting on his first extra-base hit, but he was signed to be a light hitter, smart on the base paths, and a versatile defensive player, and he's lived up to all of that so far. He's receiving rave reviews from Roberts and his teammates across the board so far.

Depending on how long Teoscar Hernández stays on the IL with Edman, Kim could have an even longer stint in the majors if he can continue outperforming James Outman. Outman recently hit his first major league home run since July 28 of last year on Wednesday, but Kim still looks like the far more complete player.