OKLAHOMA CITY -- Another bunch of Dodgers began their rehabs with the OKC Comets on Thursday afternoon as Hyeseong Kim made his rehab debut, hitting second in the lineup and, most notably, starting in left field. Kiké Hernandez followed suit, hitting right behind Kim in the three hole and appearing in his second consecutive rehab start.
Kim had a productive day at the plate in his first steps towards returning to the Dodgers. Kim had two hits overall last night, finishing his night going 2-3, and completing five innings playing left field.
Kim showcased last night why his bat in the Dodgers lineup is so valuable. Simply getting on base and creating opportunities is Kim's specialty and is surely missed.
The 26-year-old playing left field is the most interesting aspect of yesterday's rehab game for both players, as there was no prior knowledge as to what position Kim was going to start at to begin his rehab process, and it was his first time playing the position at the MLB level. Back in 2020, Kim played 44 games, 292 innings, in left field and accumulated a 1.000 fielding percentage in left.
That could be something of note once Kim gets the call-up as early as next month and could foreseeably land Kim on the scale of seeing more consistent playing time heading towards the playoffs. As of right now, this could be the Dodgers weighing in their options for left field.
Hernandez joined Kim as he was slated for his second rehab start with OKC. This time, he had the opportunity to man the center field position instead of being the designated hitter.
In back-to-back rehab starts, Hernandez has been scorching at the plate, going a combined 4-6 with three RBI and a double. According to manager Dave Roberts, before the series final against the Rockies on Thursday, he said it was "feasible" that Hernandez could be activated off the injured list next week.
The Dodgers are expecting a plethora of reinforcements to join them in the coming days and weeks, which include both Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott to be activated by this weekend, Hernandez by next week, and Max Muncy has made significant progress since coming down with an oblique strain as he has started taking swings off of a tee and has not felt any discomfort, Roberts said.