In his first spring training with the Los Angeles Dodgers, South Korean infielder Kim Hye-seong has been working on a swing change.

After a long day at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday, Kim told South Korean media that he has been trying to tweak the movements of his upper and lower body.

“The team has broken down things for me, and I’ve been trying to make those changes,” Kim said. “It feels a bit awkward because I am still in a transitional period. I’ll have to get a lot of reps and make quick adjustments.”

Kim, who signed with the Dodgers in early January, batted .304 over his eight years in the Korea Baseball Organization and hit .300 or better in every season from 2021 to 2024.

The former national high school batter of the year never hit for much power, though, with only 37 home runs in 953 career games. He belted a career high 11 home runs last year but had just one after the All-Star break.

Asked if he was changing his swing to start hitting for more power in the majors, Kim said: “That’s not the case. The team identified some issues that needed to be addressed.

I am trying to develop a better swing, not just to hit for more power.”

Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates said Kim has been a quick study as he works on his “bat path direction.”

“We’ve been making some adjustments, and for him to make them that quickly, it’s really impressive,” Bates said. “It’s supposed to feel a little awkward sometimes. But he’s been great the whole time. He’s all in, and he’s been really impressive in that sense.”

Bates noted that Kim’s bat-to-ball skills “can’t really be taught” and said, “He has the ingredients to be great, and then it’s just kind of fine-tuning things.”

Bates said he wasn’t necessarily worried about Kim’s lack of power.

“I think the pitcher supplies a lot of power. When he sequences correctly and does not really worry about it … obviously, you can see how physically fit he is and how strong he is,” Bates said. “Power is one of those things where you put a good swing on it and let it kind of take care of itself. The bat-to-ball skills and the ability to make contact are, I think, more important.”

Kim said he is also learning important lessons outside the batting cage and away from the field.

“Every player hits well, plays well and has a great mindset,” Kim said. “Just by being around them, I could see why major league players are so great and successful. So I will try to learn as much as I can.”

The Dodgers will play their first spring training game against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. Kim said he hadn’t heard from his coaching staff when he might first see action, but he will stay prepared regardless.

“I just want to play well whenever I get a chance. That’s all,” Kim said. “I will try to put my swing changes to good use in game situations.” (Yonhap)