Dodgers' Kim Hye-seong homers in last spring training game before WBC
Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim, center, hits a home run in the second inning against the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, May 31, 2025. AP-Yonhap
Los Angeles Dodgers sophomore Kim Hye-seong homered in his final spring training at-bat before joining the South Korean national team for a big international tournament.
Starting at second base and batting ninth, Kim went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in the Dodgers' 7-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona, on Thursday (local time).
Kim's sixth-inning homer off Tyson Miller's 2-2 sweeper put the Dodgers up 6-5 and they hung on to win by a run. Kim was lifted for Elijah Hainline to begin the top of the seventh.
Kim will now travel to Osaka, Japan, to join South Korea for a pair of tuneup games ahead of the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Kim hit safely in all four spring training games, with six hits in 13 at-bats, five RBIs, three runs scored and two steals. The longtime infielder also logged time in center field and made a pair of running grabs on Wednesday to showcase his defensive versatility.
"I don't think there's any full satisfaction that comes from (spring results)," Kim was quoted on MLB.com. "I'm just trying to focus on the things that I'm working on. Just working on my movement quality and my swing mechanics. And, yeah, just try to play every day, and hopefully it shows during the season."
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gushed that Kim has had "a great camp so far."
"I just love the way he plays the game. Home run was icing on the cake, exclamation mark, whatever you want to say," he said. "I wish him well, and can't wait to get him back."
South Korea will begin its Pool C action at the WBC against the Czech Republic next Thursday, with games against Japan (March 7), Chinese Taipei (March 8) and Australia (March 9) to follow. The top two nations will advance to the quarterfinals.
After losing to Japan in the final of the 2009 tournament, South Korea hasn't progressed beyond the opening round at each of the past three WBCs.