Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Hyeseong Kim made history in the Dodgers’ 18-2 rout of the New York Yankees on Saturday, becoming the first player in the MLB modern era to have four or more hits, a home run, an unassisted double play and an outfield assist in the same game.
Kim went a perfect 4-for-4 in the win with a walk in his first plate appearance, marking the third time in his short career he has gone perfect at the plate during a game. He hit his second home run of the season in the second inning, a two-run shot to give the Dodgers an early 10-0 lead.
He showed brilliant flashes of the leather during the contest, diving to tag second base after catching a liner in the third inning and nailing Aaron Judge with a perfect throw from center field in the sixth inning.
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Kim is having a great first season in MLB despite his limited playing time, making the most of his opportunities when he comes to the dish. He has two home runs and seven runs batted in, and is slashing .422/.458/.600 in 48 plate appearances.
Kim began the season with Triple-A Oklahoma, where he slashed .252/.328/.470 through 28 games. He hit five home runs and notched 18 runs batted in during his time with the Comets, and joined the Dodgers May 3.
The Dodgers have made a plethora of high-profile cuts in recent weeks, designating both Chris Taylor and Austin Barnes for assignment despite their veteran status, and one can only assume that Kim is here to stay due to his impressive performance.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts originally planned to send Kim back to Oklahoma City after the returns of Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernandez from the injured list, but had no choice but to keep him up after his offensive production.
“I think that we wanted to get him here to cut his teeth, get his feet wet and see what the big leagues are about, get familiar,” Roberts previously said. “Once Tommy and Teo come back, there are some decisions to be made. But performance, and how he’s playing, certainly helps his case.”
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According to Roberts, Kim won’t play in the Dodgers’ series finale against the Yankees, where they look to sweep their 2024 World Series opponents, but will return to the lineup Monday.
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