The Los Angeles Dodgers are preparing to face the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Round of the MLB Playoffs. While the Reds will enter the series as underdogs, they can’t be counted out—they’re an exciting, young team with a solid pitching staff. The Dodgers, meanwhile, have some tough roster decisions to make, including what to do with new bullpen arm Roki Sasaki.
“Sasaki pitched on one day of rest on Friday, and previously got two days off in between his other relief outings. Roberts said Sasaki will not make it into the final two games of the regular season,” MLB.com’s Sonya Chen wrote.
Another player to watch is Hyeseong Kim. The rookie appeared in just 71 games this season but has proven to be a valuable asset—offering elite defense, smart baserunning, and positional versatility. Kim was signed during the offseason.
“The Dodgers have agreed to a deal with Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim, the team announced on Friday. The deal is for three years and a guaranteed $12.5 million with an option for 2028-29 that could increase the value of the deal to $22 million,” MLB.com’s Brian Murphy wrote.
When speaking to the media on Monday, manager Dave Roberts did not commit to whether Kim would be on the postseason roster.
“Hyeseong has been fantastic for us this year. Going into tomorrow we have some tough roster decisions to go over,” Roberts said.
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Kim brings elite speed on the bases and could serve as a late-game defensive replacement for Teoscar Hernández if needed. Coming into the season, there was plenty of buzz surrounding the Korean infielder.
“Kim, 25, was posted by the Kiwoom Heroes on Dec. 5, marking Friday as a deadline to sign with a major league team. He’s known as an elite defender at multiple positions as he played second base, shortstop, third base and in the outfield,” ESPN’s Jesse Rogers wrote.
It will be interesting to see how Roberts and his staff handle the final roster spots. Kim remains firmly in the mix—and if called upon, he could emerge as a postseason hero.
