"LAD director Kim Hyesung's retaliation?' He 'criticized' in public. → Eventually, the starting lineup was excluded the next day

*This content was translated by AI.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will play the 2026 MLB regular season home game against the New York Mets at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California at 11:10 a.m. on the 14th (Korea time). The first of three consecutive home games.

On this day, Justin Roblesky will take the mound as the starting pitcher for the Dodgers. The batting order was composed of Shohei Ohtani (designated hitter), Kyle Tucker (right fielder), Will Smith (catcher), Teoscar Hernandez (left fielder), Freddie Freeman (first baseman), Andy Parz (center fielder), Max Muncy (third baseman), Santiago Espinal (second baseman), and Miguel Rojas (striker).

In response, the New York Mets put David Peterson as the starting pitcher. The offense consisted of starting lineups in the order of Francisco Lindor (striker), Luis Robert (midfielder), Mark Vientos (first baseman), Bobissett (third baseman), Jorge Polanco (designated hitter), Francisco Alvarez (catcher), Tommy Pam (left fielder), Marcus Semien (second baseman), and Tyrone Taylor (right fielder).

It is notable that Kim Hye-sung was excluded from the starting lineup. Kim Hye-sung started as the ninth batter and shortstop in a game against the Texas Rangers on the previous day (13th) at home, and recorded no hits and one strikeout in two at-bats. Then, when he faced a chance situation in the middle of the game, he was replaced by a pinch hitter and finished his game. The Dodgers lost 2-5.

In particular, Kim Hye-sung applied for the automated pitching decision system (ABS) challenge the previous day and drank a bitter cup. At that time, the Dodgers were trailing 1-2 with no outs and no outs at the bottom of the third inning. Kim Hye-sung struck out a rookie by freezing on the low slider of Jacob deGrom, the league's representative ace. Kim Hye-sung then objected to the strike decision and immediately applied for the ABS challenge. However, the reading showed that the ball was halfway across the strike zone, forcing it to head to the dugout as it was.

Prior to Kim Hye-sung, catcher Dalton Rushing applied for the ABS challenge in the top of the third inning after the ball was decided by starting pitcher Loki Sasaki. However, as the ball was recognized as it was, he lost a chance to read it once. And even Kim Hye-sung failed, and the Dodgers used up all the ABS challenge opportunities to apply for a total of two (regular innings).

In the top of the third inning, Dodgers Dalton Rushing used one ABS reading opportunity in Loki Sasaki's ball decision, so he blew all two challenge opportunities based on the regular innings at Kim Hye-sung's request.

However, the head coach voiced unusual criticism after the game over Kim Hye-sung's choice. According to the U.S. media Dodgers Nation, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked about Kim Hye-sung's ABS application status in an official interview after the game. In response, Roberts expressed his dissatisfaction publicly, saying, "I shouldn't have applied for the challenge there." In addition, Jack Harris, a Dodgers reporter for the California Post, said on his SNS, "Kim Hye-sung's challenge was reckless and inappropriate. "I blew all the chances I had to use for Sasaki's ball decision," he said, also bitterly. And on the 14th, the next day, the head coach excluded Kim Hye-sung, who had started three consecutive games, from the starting lineup in a surprise move as if he were retaliating.

Meanwhile, Kim Hye-sung has a batting average of 0.308 (4 hits in 13 at-bats) with one double, one RBI, three runs, five strikeouts on three walks, a on-base percentage of 0.412 and a slugging percentage of 0.385 and OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of 0.708 in six games this season.

The Dodgers lead the National League West with 11 wins and 4 losses. The New York Mets are at the bottom of the NL East with seven wins and nine losses. In addition, Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to start on the 16th.

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*This content was translated by AI.