Although he has defeated two competitors, it seems too early for him to start in the lineup. Kim Hye-sung (Los Angeles Dodgers) is steadily building his stats despite limited opportunities, eyeing the starting position.

On the 25th (in Korean time), Kim Hye-sung participated as a pinch runner in the away game against the New York Mets at Citi Field in Flushing, New York, adding one stolen base.

Left-handed pitcher David Peterson (New York Mets) started, leaving Kim Hye-sung out of the starting lineup. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts sent in the speedy Kim Hye-sung as a pinch runner at first base after the ninth batter, Miguel Rojas, drew a walk with one out in the top of the eighth inning when they were trailing 2-4. This was a consecutive appearance as a substitute for Kim Hye-sung following the previous day's game.

Kim Hye-sung watched Shohei Ohtani strike out swinging from first base. Next, Mookie Betts came to the plate, and on a 0B-1S count, Kim successfully stole second base, taking advantage of his quick speed. This was his fourth stolen base of the season, occurring after six games since the 16th against the Athletics.

However, Betts ended up striking out looking, resulting in the inning concluding at second base. Then, in the top of the ninth inning, the offense ended with the fifth batter, Andy Pajez, leaving Kim Hye-sung without any batting opportunity. The game ended with a 2-5 loss for the Dodgers.

Kim Hye-sung signed with the Dodgers for a maximum of $22 million over 3+2 years, entering the home of baseball. After a rough start with a demotion to the minor leagues, he has been impressive in the big leagues with a batting average of .395 (15 hits in 38 at-bats), one home run, five RBIs, nine runs scored, four stolen bases, on-base percentage of .425, and slugging percentage of .500, yet it is still considered too early to regard him as a solid starter for the Dodgers. Although he is a utility player capable of playing center field and second base, he frequently appears as a pinch hitter and defensive replacement.

Kim Hye-sung unexpectedly faced good news as both of his top competitors left the team. Gavin Lux was traded to the Cincinnati Reds at the time of Kim’s signing, and recently, Chris Taylor, a member of the Dodgers’ World Series-winning team, was released. Although he managed to survive in the big leagues following the return of another utility player, Tommy Edman, it feels like he has been classified as a replacement player on the Dodgers’ roster since then.

Kim Hye-sung's most recent start was on the 21st against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He did not play in the game on the 22nd against Arizona and, after a day off with no games on the 23rd, he appeared as a pinch runner on both the 24th and 25th. Reviewing the game log, it is not merely a situation where he was excluded from the lineup due to left-right matchups. Even with right-handed pitchers Corbin Burnes on the 22nd and Griffin Canning on the 24th starting, he was left out of the starting lineup, and he was also excluded when left-handed Peterson started that day.

From Kim Hye-sung's perspective, he has no choice but to leave a strong impression in such limited opportunities. In a way, the fact that he is getting at least one plate appearance, one inning even, in the Dodgers’ major league roster can be seen as a successful start to his career in his first year. This is because the team he chose is the Dodgers, known for having the deepest roster among the 30 major league teams. Therefore, there exists a pinch hitter valued at 300 million won within the Dodgers.

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