Dodgers make a surprising move before Opening Day

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced they will be optioning young infielder Hyeseong Kim to Triple-A to start the season, Courtney Hollmon of MLB.com reports. 

After a scorching spring where he's sporting a .407 batting average with a home run and five stolen bases, many thought Kim had a strong case to win the starting job at second base, which has been left open due to starting second baseman Tommy Edman being ruled out for the start of the season as he recovers from ankle surgery. 

That doesn't appear to be the case, however, as the Dodgers have decided to option the young infielder to Triple-A in a surprising move. Instead, it will be infielder prospect Alex Freeland who will get the major league Opening Day roster spot despite a .111 batting average this spring.

What happens to Hyeseong Kim now?

With the move, the Dodgers plan to keep Kim playing every day at Triple-A, keeping him fresh and giving him ample at-bats to keep improving on his game. With Miguel Rojas still in the fold, he is expected to get most of the starts at second base versus left-handed pitchers, while working in a platoon with Freeland seeing most starts against righties. Ultimately, the Dodgers decided the limited at-bats would not be the best for Kim's development long term.

Kim was also away from the team for the second part of spring training as he played in the World Baseball Classic representing Team Korea. Kim's numbers didn't fare as well while with Korea, collecting just one hit in 12 at-bats for a .083 batting average. Even more concerning was his six strikeouts in the 12 at-bats he received, which might be another reason for his demotion. 

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked about the decision.

"It's a gut punch for sure," Roberts said. "No one works harder than he does. You're proud that he went to the WBC to represent his country. But the driver is him playing six days a week and logging a considerable number of at-bats, which he wouldn't get here." 

With a refined swing, Hyeseong Kim should be back up soon

With Kim now heading to Triple-A, he'll have time to work on his game. He has shown flashes of both speed and power and a good glove over at second base, which makes him more valuable. If he can just improve on his strikeouts-to-walks ratio with more at-bats and consistent playing time, he should receive a call-up to the majors sooner rather than later.