Tommy Edman won’t be ready for Opening Day after undergoing offseason surgery on his right ankle to repair a ligament and remove bone spurs. The Dodgers are placing their starting second baseman on the injured list to start the season.
That leaves manager Dave Roberts with a decision at second base. Four candidates are competing for everyday playing time while Edman recovers: Miguel Rojas, Alex Freeland, Santiago Espinal, and utility man Hyeseong Kim.
The smart money seems to be on Kim.
The 27-year-old left-handed hitter was a star in the Korea Baseball Organization before signing a three-year, $12.5 million deal with Los Angeles last offseason. He made quite an impression in limited action, stealing 13 bases in 14 attempts across 170 plate appearances.
What gives Kim the edge? His bat flips the platoon advantage in the Dodgers’ favor most nights.
“What gives Kim the leg up is that he’s a left-handed bat, so there’s a good chance he’ll be in the lineup most of the time against right-handers,” writes FanSided’s Zachary Rotman. “Rojas and Espinal will still play, especially against lefties, but Kim has the most upside of that trio, and the clear platoon advantage on most nights.”
It’s not like the Dodgers are hurting for talent elsewhere. The rest of the lineup is stacked with All-Stars, so giving Kim the chance to develop won’t hurt their postseason chances.
The way I see it, this injury might actually work out for Los Angeles. They get to see what they have in Kim while keeping their depth intact for when Edman returns. That’s the kind of problem championship teams don’t mind having.
