Hyeseong Kim won the Dodgers’ roster battle over Alex Freeland on Friday, with Los Angeles keeping Kim on the active roster and sending Freeland back to Triple-A after Mookie Betts returned from his rehab assignment sooner than expected.
Manager Dave Roberts said the decision came down to production. “I think what it came down to is, Hyeseong’s performed better,” Roberts said. The move leaves Freeland headed back to Oklahoma City and gives Kim another chance to stick after the club weighed one infield option against another.
The choice mattered because the Dodgers had spent days working through a Hyeseong Kim versus Alex Freeland dilemma, and the balance shifted once Betts came back earlier than the team had planned. Los Angeles had liked Freeland’s plate discipline in spring training, but that trait faded once he reached the majors. Kim, by contrast, has been the better hitter, and the Dodgers also believed his defensive versatility probably helped his case.
The roster picture is not settled. Kiké Hernández will be the next player to come off the injured list, and Santiago Espinal’s time with the club will end when Hernández returns. Tommy Edman is on the 60-day injured list, and Roberts said Edman is on a “slow program,” leaving open the possibility that Kim could eventually be joined by Freeland again if Edman comes back. Alex Call could also be at risk in that scenario, which keeps the Dodgers’ infield mix fluid even after Friday’s decision.
The Dodgers had also considered designating Espinal for assignment but did not go that route, another sign they were trying to protect depth while sorting out which players could actually hold up against major league pitching. For now, though, the answer was Kim, not Freeland, and the club made that call with the standings in mind and the roster crunch already tightening around it.
