*This content was translated by AI.
Dark clouds loom over Kim Hye-seong (26), who plays for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets, a farm team of the Los Angeles Dodgers, as the season nears its end. He has been excluded from the starting lineup for four consecutive games and has disappeared from public view, yet no official injury report or specific news about his condition has emerged, leaving fans in a state of frustration.
Kim Hye-seong recorded three at-bats with no hits, three strikeouts, and one walk in the Suga Land game on the 9th (Korean time) and has not appeared in any official games since. There is still no official injury report confirmed through local U.S. media or club announcements. As he has missed consecutive games after being substituted during a match, speculation is mounting that something may be wrong with his physical condition beyond mere rest.
The timing of his absence is particularly problematic. For Kim Hye-seong, this is an urgent moment when he must prove himself on the field more than ever before. After failing to receive a call-up from the Dodgers in September's expanded roster, the void left in the major leagues by Shohei Ohtani's placement on the injured list was filled instead by Double-A prospect De Paula Ho.
His performance at the Triple-A level also leaves room for disappointment. As of September 12, he has played in 81 games with a batting average of .268 (310 at-bats, 83 hits), three home runs, 29 RBIs, 56 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.688. Considering his contributions to the Dodgers' World Series championship in the 2025 major league season, these numbers fall short of capturing the team's attention immediately.
Time remaining until the end of the season is also tight. Local U.S. media are already offering a cold assessment that Kim Hye-seong has no realistic place in the Dodgers' postseason plans. If this consecutive absence is due to injury, not only will his return to the major leagues be uncertain, but even playing out the remainder of the season could become doubtful, putting him at risk of ending the 2026 season futilely in Triple-A.
Kim Hye-seong has vanished from the final stretch of minor league competition, let alone making a comeback to the major leagues within just one year. If it is indeed an injury, rapid recovery is the top priority; if not, he must return to the field as soon as possible to reprove his competitiveness. Time is simply not on Kim Hye-seong's side.
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*This content was translated by AI.
