Kim Hye-seong (26) of the Los Angeles Dodgers was excluded from the starting lineup against a left-handed starting pitcher, as expected.

The Dodgers set the starting lineup against the New York Yankees on the 2nd (Korea time) at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, with Shohei Ohtani (designated hitter), Teoscar Hernández (right fielder), Freddie Freeman (first baseman), Will Smith (catcher), Andy Pajes (catcher), Tommy Edman (center fielder), Max Muncy (third baseman), Enrique Hernández (second baseman), and Miguel Rojas (shortstop). The starting pitcher is Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

As left-handed pitcher Ryan Yarbrough was announced as the Yankees' starting pitcher, Kim Hye-seong, who has been having a great season, was excluded from the starting lineup. Yarbrough has recorded 2 wins and an earned run average of 3.06 over 12 games (35⅓ innings) this season.

Kim Hye-seong, with a batting average of .304 over 953 games in the KBO League (3,433 at-bats and 1,043 hits), 37 home runs, 386 RBIs, 591 runs, and 211 stolen bases for an OPS of .767, challenged for a Major League Baseball debut through posting after last season and successfully signed a maximum contract worth $22 million (about 30.4 billion won) with the Dodgers for 3+2 years.

However, although Kim Hye-seong was an All-Star infielder in Korea, he had to take on a rookie's attitude in the Major Leagues. After discussions with the Dodgers, Kim made changes to his batting form, but showed poor performance in the exhibition games, starting the season in Triple-A of the minor leagues.

Amid this, Kim Hye-seong seized the call-up opportunity due to Tommy Edman's injury and made his Major League debut against Atlanta on the 4th of last month. Initially, it seemed he would return to the minor leagues once Edman recovered from his injury, but he has been outstanding with a .422 batting average (19 hits in 45 at-bats), 2 home runs, 7 RBIs, 13 runs, 4 stolen bases, and an OPS of 1.058 over 21 games, securing a spot on the Major League roster.

In particular, on the 1st against the Yankees, he delivered his best performance since his debut. Batting 9th as a second baseman, he went 4 for 4 with 1 home run, 2 RBIs, 3 runs scored, and 1 walk. This is his first 4-hit game since making his Major League debut.

Kim Hye-seong hit a two-run home run over the right-center fence off left-handed relief pitcher Brent Hedrick in his second at-bat with two outs and a runner on second base during the bottom of the 2nd inning, when the Dodgers were leading 8-0. The ball was hit at a speed of 102.8 mph (165.4 km/h) and traveled 412 feet (126 m). With this home run, Kim proved that he not only has power but can also hit home runs against left-handed pitchers.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, in an interview during the game, praised Kim Hye-seong, saying, "He is a player with solid fundamentals, speed, and good defense. Above all, he is truly strong and tenacious. He was an All-Star in the KBO, and he chose our team in the U.S. He turned down offers from other clubs to come to our team. From the start, he was determined to join the Dodgers. Now, he is gaining confidence and showing his presence in the games."

However, Kim Hye-seong is still not a guaranteed starter. He often starts games on the bench when a left-handed pitcher is opposing. This game was no exception. After the game on the 1st, Roberts noted in an interview that Kim Hye-seong would be excluded from the starting lineup for this game. Instead, he is expected to return to the starting lineup for the game against the Mets on the 3rd.

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