Los Angeles Dodgers' Kim Hye-sung (26) has been excluded from the starting lineup again. The opposing starting pitcher is a right-hander, but he is out again.

Kim Hye-sung was not included in the starting lineup for the home game against the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball at 11:10 a.m. on the 18th (Korea time) at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

In facing San Diego's right-handed starter Randy Vasquez, the Dodgers have included Shohei Ohtani (designated hitter), Mookie Betts (shortstop), Freddie Freeman (first baseman), Will Smith (catcher), Teoscar Hernández (right fielder), Max Muncy (third baseman), Andy Pahés (center fielder), Michael Conforto (left fielder), and Tommy Edman (second baseman) in the lineup. The starting pitcher is right-hander Jack Flaherty.

Other than the adjustment of the batting order for Smith and Hernández in the 4th and 5th spots, the same nine players are in the starting lineup as the previous day (17th). The Dodgers are deploying their best lineup two days in a row against the ranking competitor, San Diego.

Kim Hye-sung, who has missed the last two games, will start from the bench for the third game. Considering that all three games have had opposing right-handed starters, Kim Hye-sung's situation is disappointing. The game on the 16th against the San Francisco Giants was disrupted when left-hander Kyle Harrison, initially announced as the starter, was suddenly changed to right-hander Sean Zale due to a trade to the Boston Red Sox.

On this day, with Vasquez among the right-handed starters, Kim Hye-sung missed another starting opportunity. This season, Kim Hye-sung has shown exceptional hitting production with a batting average of .382 (26 hits in 68 at-bats), 2 home runs, 11 RBIs, 6 stolen bases, and an OPS of .969, but is trapped in a platoon system where he is used based on the type of opposing pitcher. He has only faced left-handed pitchers 4 times (3 hits in 4 at-bats, 1 home run) this year. After the return of injured players like Edman and Hernández, his appearances have been sporadic.

While the Dodgers have a solid roster, there are also 'gaps' in the lineup. Conforto, a left-handed outfielder who has recorded 171 home runs over his 10-season career, is experiencing extreme struggles this season with a batting average of .170 (34 hits in 200 at-bats), 4 home runs, 13 RBIs, and an OPS of .587 over 64 games.

Three months after the season's start, there has been no noticeable rebound. He has never exceeded a monthly batting average of .200. In June, he has a batting average of .158 (6 hits in 38 at-bats), 1 home run, 4 RBIs, and an OPS of .519, continuing to dig a hole for himself. On the 17th against San Diego, he also went 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts.

However, since Conforto was brought in with a $17 million free-agent contract, the Dodgers cannot easily give up on him. The season is only halfway through. Because he is a high-paid player, it seems they intend to utilize him in some way for the remainder of the period. Kim Hye-sung, with a salary of $3.5 million—one-fifth of Conforto's—is unable to escape the bench due to financial constraints.

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