The Los Angeles Dodgers made roster moves ahead of their Friday night game against the Philadelphia Phillies, re-signing utility player Santiago Espinal and optioning infielder Hyeseong Kim to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
The changes come after left fielder Teoscar Hernández was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain.
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Kiké Hernández also landed on the IL.
To fill the open spots, the Dodgers recalled outfielder and first baseman Ryan Ward and transferred left-hander Blake Snell to the 60-day injured list.
Kim's Slump and Development Plan
Kim had struggled at the plate, batting . 186 over his last 15 games with 16 strikeouts.
The Dodgers believe consistent playing time in the minors will help him correct his swing mechanics.
“Get his swing back to where it was when he first came up,” general manager Brandon Gomes said.
“There's some stuff in his setup, and it started to drift to a little bit more, like what we saw last year.”
Manager Dave Roberts noted that Kim had become tentative and was losing the use of his legs in his swing.
“I think his swing has changed. I think he’s losing his legs a little bit,” Roberts said.
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Roberts added that the minor league environment would provide a less intense setting for development.
“I think he’s just playing a little bit with my eyes, a little bit more tentative and not as free and easy as he was,” he said.
