{"id":173940,"date":"2026-04-07T07:32:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T07:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=173940"},"modified":"2026-04-07T07:32:01","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T07:32:01","slug":"%f0%9f%9a%a8-confirm-dodgers-witness-an-instant-impact-as-kim-hye-seong-shines-in-his-first-start-delivering-clutch-hits-and-a-defensive-moment-thats-already-turning-heads-across-the-league","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=173940","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udea8 CONFIRM: DODGERS WITNESS AN INSTANT IMPACT AS KIM HYE SEONG SHINES IN HIS FIRST START, delivering clutch hits and a defensive moment that\u2019s already turning heads across the league. What seemed like a routine lineup change quickly transformed into a breakout performance fans can\u2019t stop talking about on social media. This unexpected spark could be the beginning of a rising force Los Angeles didn\u2019t know it needed this early..ll \ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dodgers'<\/picture>Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Kim Hye-seong, left, forces out Daulton Varsho of the Toronto Blue Jays during the clubs’ Major League Baseball regular-season game at Rogers Centre in Toronto, April 6. AP-Yonhap<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Kim Hye-seong of the Los Angeles Dodgers has made the most of his first start of the 2026 season.<\/p>\n

The Korean shortstop batted 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored, as the Dodgers hammered the Toronto Blue Jays 14-2 at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Monday (local time) in a rematch of the 2025 World Series.<\/p>\n

Kim also made a defensive gem at shortstop.<\/p>\n

Kim started his second season in a row in the minors and was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday. Just hours later, Kim made his season debut as a defensive replacement during a road game against the Washington Nationals. The Dodgers placed veteran shortstop Mookie Betts on the injured list earlier Sunday with an oblique injury, and they now plan to use Kim and Miguel Rojas in a platoon at shortstop — with Kim, who bats left-handed, likely getting the bulk of opportunities against right-handed pitchers.<\/p>\n

With the righty Max Scherzer starting for the Blue Jays, Kim got the start at shortstop and batted ninth.<\/p>\n

He flied out in his first plate appearance in the second inning. But with lefty reliever Josh Fleming on the mound, Kim stayed in the game and drew a walk in the fourth inning.<\/p>\n

After flying out in the fifth, Kim got an infield hit off right-hander Tommy Nance in the seventh. He later came around to score on a Freddie Freeman double.<\/p>\n

Kim then singled off righty Spencer Miles in the eighth for a multihit game.<\/p>\n

\"Dodgers'<\/p>\n

In the bottom of the seventh, Kim made a basket catch on a pop fly off the bat of Andres Gimenez, running into the shallow left-center field to rob the Blue Jays hitter of a base hit.<\/p>\n

The Dodgers pounded out 17 hits, including five home runs. They will stay in Toronto for two more games.Also on Monday, San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo, the only other Korean in the majors at the moment, went 1-for-4 in a 6-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Oracle Park in San Francisco.<\/p>\n

Lee only has six hits in 37 at-bats through 11 games, for a .162 batting average.<\/p>\n

From the No. 6 spot in the lineup, Lee flied out in the second and grounded into a double play in the third.<\/p>\n

After hitting another groundout in the fifth, Lee hit a two-out single in the eighth.<\/p>\n

Lee, who has moved from center field to right field this season, made a nice catch at the warning track in his new position in the top of the ninth inning, denying Bryson Stott of an extra-base hit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Kim Hye-seong, left, forces out Daulton Varsho of the Toronto Blue Jays during the clubs’ Major League Baseball regular-season game at Rogers Centre… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":173945,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-173940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n\ud83d\udea8 CONFIRM: DODGERS WITNESS AN INSTANT IMPACT AS KIM HYE SEONG SHINES IN HIS FIRST START, delivering clutch hits and a defensive moment that\u2019s already turning heads across the league. What seemed like a routine lineup change quickly transformed into a breakout performance fans can\u2019t stop talking about on social media. 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