Dodgers send clear warning to struggling outfielder with Hyeseong Kim looming

Peter Chawaga

Dodgers send clear warning to struggling outfielder with Hyeseong Kim looming image

The Los Angeles Dodgers have a lot to celebrate after an aggressive offseason coming on the heels of their latest World Series championship.

The team added stars like Blake Snell, Tanner Scott and Roki Sasaki to a roster that already included Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. But that depth can mean that talented players can face significant pressure to perform, or find themselves benched or optioned quickly.

That seems to be the case for outfielder Andy Pages, who has slashed just .151/.286/.283 in 53 at-bats while starting 17 of the Dodgers’ first 19 games this season.

Amid the struggles, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts issued a clear deadline for Pages to turn it around before he could be facing a significant move.

“I think for Andy’s situation, I’ve used that 150 plate appearance benchmark,” Roberts said, per Dodger Blue.

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Roberts seems to believe Pages can rebound back to the .248/.305/.407 form he demonstrated in his major-league debut in 2024. But he has logged 63 plate appearances so far, so he doesn’t have much time to figure it out.

The Dodgers have plenty of intriguing options who could slot in if Pages is benched or demoted. Roberts noted that he wants to get some more at-bats for Chris Taylor and that utilityman Kiké Hernández has “figured some things out offensively the last couple days” as well.

And the team has a potential high-impact option looming in the minor leagues. South Korean star infielder Hyeseong Kim took a three-year, $12.5 million contract to join the Dodgers this past winter and opened the season in Triple-A. So far, he’s slashed .284/.351/.552 with three homers, suggesting he could be ready for a big-league call up.

If Pages is unable to turn around his offense in the near future, it could be time for the Dodgers to debut their latest international star.

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Peter Chawaga

Peter Chawaga is a veteran journalist covering Major League Baseball for The Sporting News. His MLB reporting has included feature interviews with commissioner Rob Manfred and Hall of Fame slugger David Ortiz, salary analysis, player rankings and more. He has covered baseball for Forbes, Yardbarker, Pitcher List, Athlon and other outlets.

With over ten years of newsroom experience, he has previously covered finance, technology, arts, and culture for newspapers, magazines, and websites nationwide. He graduated from Wake Forest University with a degree in English and journalism.