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The Los Angeles Dodgers will bench Hyseong Kim in favor of Alex Freeland.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are making a change at second base, prioritizing prospect Alex Freeland over Hyeseong Kim moving forward, manager Dave Roberts told reporters after a win against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, May 27.
Roberts relayed to the media, including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, that Freeland has earned “more runway” due to his recent performance. Both players will remain on the roster at this time. Freeland was recalled after Kike Hernandez went down with an oblique injury.
Alex Freeland will likely get more of the playing time over Hyeseong Kim while both are on the roster. Said Freeland has earned “more runway.”
Kim has failed to live up to expectations since signing a 3-year, $12.5 million contract with the Dodgers heading into the 2025 season. The infielder posted a .699 OPS in 71 games last year. He swiped 13 bases, but didn’t provide much outside of speed. Kim has an 88 wRC+ across 43 games in 2026. He was on the bench against the Rockies.
Los Angeles Dodgers Roster Update: Alex Freeland to Take Over Second Base From Hyeseong Kim
GettyThe Los Angeles Dodgers plan to give more second base opportunities to Alex Freeland.
Freeland is among the top hitting prospects in the organization. He entered the season ranked at No. 8 in the system by FanGraphs. MLB Pipeline was even more aggressive after 2025, ranking Freeland at fifth. Outfielders Josue De Paula, Zyhir Hope, and James Tibbs III have garnered most of the interest from prospect hounds, but Freeland is a notable name in his own right.
The Dodgers gave Freeland his first big-league opportunity last season. He scuffled during a brief stint in the majors. The infielder posted a 73 wRC+ in 29 games with Los Angeles. He hit just .190 and struck out at a massive 36.1% clip. Strikeouts haven’t been a problem for Freeland in the minor leagues, as he’s routinely punched out at around 21% at various stops. Freeland has typically shown strong walk rates, and that continued in his short time with the Dodgers. He walked at a solid 11.3% clip across 97 plate appearances.
Freeland is slashing .228/.301/.327 in 34 games with the big-league club in 2026. He’s trimmed his strikeout rate to 27.8%. It’s not an ideal number, but it’s a big step forward from his mark in 2025. Freeland is walking nearly 10% of the time. The main issue has been power. He’s been punchless for much of the season, delivering a .099 ISO and a .327 slugging percentage.
What Will Kim’s Role Be With the Dodgers?
Kim could slip into a utility gig as the Dodgers look to replace Hernandez’s contributions. The 27-year-old has made appearances at second base and shortstop this season. Kim also spent one game in left field. He saw opportunities in center field last year with Tommy Edman missing a significant chunk of the campaign. Kim hasn’t played third base as a big leaguer, but did make appearances at the position during his career in the Korea Baseball Organization.
Moving to a part-time role is a disappointing outcome for a free agent who had some intrigue coming over from Korea, but spending a little over $4 million for a marginal asset is a drop in the bucket for Los Angeles. The Dodgers are spending more on Hernandez and Miguel Rojas, both of whom serve similar purposes.
Charlie Wright is a longtime sports journalist with more than a decade of experience covering college and professional sports. He covers MLB and NBA for Heavy.com. More about Charlie Wright