LAD Kim Hye-sung → He is no longer absent, and he will return to the starting lineup in a surprise move to help Yamamoto

*This content was translated by AI.

Utility Player Kim Hye-sung (27, LA Dodgers) has returned to the starting lineup.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will play the 2026 Major League Baseball (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 15th (Korea time).

Kim Hye-sung will start as the eighth batter and second baseman.

Yamamoto Yoshinobu will take the mound as the starting pitcher for the Dodgers on this day. The batting order was in the order of Shohei Ohtani (designated hitter), Kyle Tucker (right fielder), Will Smith (catcher), Freddie Freeman (first baseman), Teoscar Hernandez (left fielder), Max Muncy (third baseman), Andy Parx (center fielder), Kim Hye-sung (striker), and Alex Freeland (second baseman).

Nolan McClean will start for the New York Mets. Francisco Lindor (striker), Luis Robert (midfielder), Jorge Polanco (designated hitter), Bobissett (third baseman), Francisco Alvarez (catcher), Brett Beitty (right fielder), Mark Vientos (first baseman), Marcus Semien (second baseman), and Carson Benji (left fielder).

Kim Hye-sung started as the ninth batter and shortstop in a game against the Texas Rangers on the 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.

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."

And on the 14th, the next day, the head coach abruptly excluded Kim Hye-sung, who had started three consecutive games, from the starting lineup as if he were retaliating. But this was not retaliation. It took into account the fact that the opponent's starter was left-hander. And on this day, he returned to the starting lineup after two games, dispelling concerns.

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.

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*This content was translated by AI.