When the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Hyeseong Kim, it was assumed that he would be the starting second baseman.<\/p>\n
However, that might not be so automatic after the first few games of spring training.<\/p>\n
Kim, who is known for his defense, is struggling to catch up with Major League Baseball pitching and general manager Brandon Gomes remains non-committal as to where Kim will begin the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just think there\u2019s so much unknown between now and Opening Day, seeing how the roster plays out and how he looks,\u201d Gomes recently said. \u201cBut we\u2019re excited with what he\u2019s brought to the table. The energy, the defense has been really impressive. And then the work ethic.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHe already has really good bat-to-ball [skills], which is a good foundation, obviously,\u201d Gomes\u00a0added. \u201cAnd then being able to impact the ball a little bit more and ride out some off-speed pitches in a better way, there\u2019s definitely some pieces there that we feel like we can address to tap into the upside.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n During batting practice, there have been times when Kim looks overmatched.<\/p>\n In his first four games of the Cactus League, Kim has struggled at the plate, recording just one infield single in nine at-bats, along with two walks, four strikeouts, and only one ball hit harder than 95 mph, the threshold for hard-hit contact according to MLB\u2019s Statcast system.<\/p>\n