As Andy Phaez of the Los Angeles Dodgers continues to struggle, the possibility of Kim Hye-sung's call-up to the big leagues has been raised.

The American sports media outlet Sports Illustrated reported on the 7th (Korea time) that "Dodgers fans are curious about who will be called up to the big leagues amid the struggles of outfielder Andy Phaez." As of the 7th, Phaez has a batting average of .118 (4 hits in 34 at-bats) with 3 runs.

This outlet introduced that "a video has been released showing Kim Hye-sung, who is playing for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers, receiving congratulations from teammates in the dugout."

It continued, "If Kim Hye-sung gets the chance for a call-up to the big leagues, Tommy Edman will step in as center fielder instead of Andy Phaez, and Kim Hye-sung will take over as second baseman," adding that "Hunter Feducia, who joined the big leagues in place of injured Freddie Freeman, will go back down to Triple-A."

Sports Illustrated noted, "Many expected Kim Hye-sung to make the opening roster ahead of this season," adding that "However, concerns from manager Dave Roberts that Kim Hye-sung would struggle with the velocity difference between KBO League pitchers and Major League pitchers have come to fruition."

While Kim Hye-sung received passing marks in defense through spring training, he left something to be desired in offense with below-expectation performances. As a result, Manager Roberts made accommodations for Kim Hye-sung to adjust his batting stance while playing at Triple-A.

Manager Roberts said, "It’s important for Kim Hye-sung to absorb as many Triple-A games as possible to prepare for a good adaptation to the big leagues," noting that "He is already adapting quickly. His learning ability is also excellent."

This outlet stated, "Kim Hye-sung has played in 8 Triple-A games, recording 9 hits and 6 RBIs. If this is an opportunity for him to prove himself in the Major League, it’s clear that he will do everything he can to stay in the big leagues."

Meanwhile, Kim Hye-sung, who graduated from Dongsan High School and began his professional career after being selected in the second round of the Nexen Heroes in the 2017 draft, has played 953 games in the first team until last year, recording a batting average of .304 (1,043 hits in 3,433 at-bats), with 37 home runs, 386 RBIs, 591 runs, 211 stolen bases, and an OPS of .767.

From 2021 to 2024, Kim Hye-sung won the Golden Glove as a shortstop once and as a second baseman three times, and has been a regular member of the national team for events like the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the 2023 World Baseball Classic, the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, the 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championship, and the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Last year, Kim Hye-sung successfully completed the season with a batting average of .326 (166 hits in 509 at-bats), 11 home runs, 75 RBIs, 90 runs, 30 stolen bases, and an OPS of .841. He sought to enter the Major League through the posting system and signed a contract with the Dodgers for 3+2 years, worth up to $22 million.

Having finished the spring training with a batting average of .207 (6 hits in 29 at-bats), 1 home run, 3 RBIs, and 6 runs, Kim Hye-sung failed to make the opening roster and began the season at Triple-A.

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