Hyeseong Kim figures to have a transparent path to a task because the Dodgers’ common second baseman after the membership traded Gavin Lux to the Reds earlier this winter. Even so, L.A. is holding their choices open with the longtime KBO infielder. Based on Invoice Plunkett of the Orange County Register, the Dodgers are planning to strive Kim in middle discipline this spring.
Kim, 26, has performed second base for the overwhelming majority of his profession but additionally has vital expertise at shortstop alongside pretty transient cameos within the outfield corners and at third base. Kim is already being utilized at each center infield positions, however now the membership seems poised to offer Kim alternatives in middle as nicely within the hope that he can present them with a left-handed possibility on the place. Change-hitter Tommy Edman figures to be the membership’s beginning possibility on the place this yr, however he’s been a much better hitter in opposition to left-handed pitching all through his profession up to now. Different alternate options to Edman like Enrique Hernandez, Chris Taylor, and Andy Pages are all right-handed, whereas lefty middle fielder James Outman seems to have fallen a number of locations down the membership’s depth chart at this level.
That creates a possibility for Kim, who’s coming off a .326/.383/.458 season for the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes. If Kim struggles offensively in his first style of massive league motion as his countryman Ha-Seong Kim did throughout his debut 2021 marketing campaign with the Padres, it’s at the least theoretically attainable that the Dodgers may finally choose to make the most of veteran infielder Miguel Rojas and even Edman as their common second baseman, relegating Kim to extra of a utility function. If that have been to return to move, Kim having the flexibility to deal with middle discipline in opposition to right-handed pitching can be a serious asset for the Dodgers given their closely right-handed bench and middle discipline choices.
Elsewhere on the roster, two-way famous person Shohei Ohtani continues to work in the direction of his return to the mound after lacking the 2024 season resulting from elbow surgical procedure. Plunkett notes that supervisor David Roberts relayed to reporters that Ohtani touched 95 mph on his heater throughout at the moment’s bullpen session. That’s a noteworthy improvement after he oscillated between 92 and 94 mph throughout final week’s session. Roberts additionally added that Ohtani integrated his cutter into the bullpen session at the moment, a change which he described as a “large step.”Â
The star’s projected timeline for a return to the mound has not modified, as he’s anticipated to first start pitching in video games someday in Could. Even so, it’s absolutely encouraging for Dodgers followers that their famous person stays heading in the right direction and is making good progress as he navigates a difficult rehab course of that can require him to stability rehabbing his arm as a pitcher and making ready for the common season as a hitter.
Plunkett additionally relayed an replace on right-hander Bobby Miller, who was struck within the head with a 106mph comebacker throughout the first Spring Coaching sport between the Dodgers and Cubs on Thursday. Miller seems to have suffered delicate signs because of the incident, beforehand telling reporters he was solely coping with “complications and drowsiness.” Even so, Miller gained’t be again in video games for the Dodgers for some time but. He relayed to Plunkett that he’s “bought to move some steps” earlier than being cleared to renew baseball actions, and the primary field that must be checked is for Miller to be utterly symptom-free earlier than he resumes exercises and finally returns to video games. Miller is within the combine for the fifth starter job to open the season, however each Tony Gonsolin and Dustin Could seemed to be extra doubtless candidates for the job coming into Spring Coaching.
