The Los Angeles Dodgers finalized their roster for the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, and the clearest casualty was speedster Hyeseong Kim.
The 27-year-old South Korean infielder, who had made the Division Series roster as a defensive specialist and pinch-running option, was left off the 26-man group for the best-of-seven matchup.
In his place, the club added left-handed pitcher Justin Wrobleski, shifting to an even split of 13 pitchers and 13 position players after carrying only 12 arms in the shorter series against Atlanta.
Kim’s path to this point was uneven. He appeared in 43 games for the Dodgers across the first two months of the regular season, posting a .259 average with one home run, 11 RBIs, and five stolen bases for a .651 OPS.
Those numbers were not enough to hold a major-league job; he was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City in late May and spent the rest of the summer in the minors.
The Dodgers brought him back for the postseason, but his only contribution in the Division Series came as a late defensive replacement at second base in Game 4, an appearance driven in part by Miguel Rojas’s lower-back discomfort. Rojas recovered sufficiently to make the Championship Series roster, removing the immediate need for Kim’s glove work.
The decision also reflected a broader roster philosophy. Manager Dave Roberts and the front office prioritized extra pitching depth for a longer series against a Brewers team that won 103 games.
Wrobleski, a first-time All-Star this year, offers multi-inning capability out of the bullpen after a regular-season performance that included a 3.66 ERA across 140 innings before an uneven second half.
Keeping top prospect Josue De Paula as a left-handed bat off the bench further crowded the position-player side, leaving Kim as the odd man out once Rojas was cleared.
For Kim, the outcome marks a quiet end to a season that began with modest playing time and never fully took off.
A versatile defender who can handle the middle infield and outfield, he showed flashes of value with his speed—he has been caught only twice in 20 career steal attempts—but never established himself as more than a complementary piece.
The Dodgers, coming off a World Series title and carrying a deep, expensive core that includes Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, simply did not have room for him once the series lengthened and the pitching needs grew.
Game 1 of the series is set for Sunday night at American Family Field, with left-hander Tarik Skubal expected to start for Los Angeles.
Whether Kim’s absence becomes noticeable will depend on how the games unfold, particularly if late-inning defensive situations or pinch-running opportunities arise. For now, the Dodgers have chosen additional innings from the bullpen over an extra set of legs on the bases.
