The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to navigate a minefield of midseason injuries, and the latest blow came Tuesday with infielder Hyeseong Kim landing on the 10-day injured list due to left shoulder bursitis.
Kim, who had been playing through the injury for the past week, had seen a noticeable dip in production. Despite returning to the lineup Monday in Cincinnati due to Tommy Edman’s own ankle flare-up, Kim went 0-for-3 and looked visibly uncomfortable at the plate. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged that Kim hadn’t been himself recently, saying: “You can just see offensively with the bat, he’s just not himself right now.”
Over his last seven games, Kim hit just .158 with 10 strikeouts in 19 at-bats. Across the last month, his struggles have persisted, slashing .224/.253/.263 over 76 at-bats. Roberts and the Dodgers had been weighing whether to let Kim and/or Edman push through their respective injuries. “That’s the thing that, it is a blurred line,” Roberts said. “The players obviously feel that they’re not hurt, where they can play and post, which is great. But the line of, are you still hurting the team, hurting yourself, that’s the thing that the organization, the training staff, we’ve got to make that decision.”
Ultimately, the decision was made for Kim, who will now rest for at least 10 days.
Top Prospect Freeland to Make MLB Debut
Support Our Fight To End Fall Weddings
Stepping into Kim’s roster spot is switch-hitting infielder Alex Freeland, a rising star and the Dodgers’ No. 3 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The 22-year-old has been called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City and is expected to make his Major League debut during the team’s road trip in Cincinnati.
Freeland earned the promotion with a steady showing in Triple-A, slashing .253/.377/.421 with 26 doubles, 12 homers, and 71 RBI in 94 games. A polished defender with experience across the infield, Freeland brings strong bat-to-ball skills and projects as a 20-homer-per-year hitter. He becomes the latest in a growing list of young talent the Dodgers are leaning on amid a grueling stretch of injuries and underperformance.
“He’s going to come and we’ll see what direction we go, with who,” Roberts said of Freeland prior to Kim’s official move to the IL.
Lingering Concerns Around Edman
Meanwhile, Tommy Edman continues to battle through a nagging ankle issue that’s lingered since early May. Though his offensive production hasn’t dropped off—he’s slashed .280/.333/.400 with just four strikeouts in his last 25 at-bats—the outfielder admitted the ankle remains a factor. “It’s something that’s kind of always there,” Edman said. “But I would say it’s been pretty normal.”
Edman did not play in Monday’s game due to limited mobility, further thinning the Dodgers’ options in the lineup. Though he avoided the injured list for now, his status remains day-to-day, and Los Angeles may still need to monitor his usage closely over the coming weeks.
The Bigger Picture
Kim’s injury adds to a growing list of health concerns for the Dodgers, who have already weathered absences from key contributors this summer. As the trade deadline looms, the front office has some tough decisions ahead—both in terms of roster construction and injury management. For now, they’ll look to Freeland to provide a spark and stabilize a suddenly vulnerable infield.