Dodgers Optioning Alex Freeland in Major Roster Move: Report

The decision is in.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to option infielder Alex Freeland to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday, reports Jack Harris of the California Post.

This comes amid a major roster battle between Freeland, Hyeseong Kim and Santiago Espinal with the impending return of Mookie Betts.

Freeland and Espinal made the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, while Kim was called up when Betts went on the injured list.

Freeland beat out Kim for the final spot on the Dodgers' Opening Day roster. Seven weeks later, Kim has now returned the favor.

Why Did Dodgers Option Alex Freeland Instead of DFA'ing Santiago Espinal?

The Dodgers' decision to option Freeland and keep Espinal is confusing on the surface, but makes sense for a handful of reasons.

Both Freeland and Kim are players the Dodgers expect to be a part of their future. Thus, they want each of them to get as many at-bats as possible to continue their development.

The only reason Kim began the season in Triple-A was to get everyday playing time while Freeland had it at the major league level. The injury to Betts allowed both players to get consistent opportunities.

As for Espinal, he's the 26th man on the Dodgers' roster, earning sporadic playing time as a right-handed bat off the bench. The Dodgers are content with him playing once in a while, and don't feel pressured to get him consistent at-bats. That's a valuable player to have on a team with a starting lineup that's essentially set in stone every day.

So, with Espinal safe, that meant it was a decision between Kim and Freeland — the same battle that took place in spring training.

While the Dodgers went with Freeland the first time — partly because the injuries to Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernández afforded LA a rare opportunity to see the 24-year-old on an every day basis at second base — they're now going with the infielder who's played better this season. And that's Kim.

Why Hyeseong Kim Earned His Spot on the Dodgers Roster With Mookie Betts Returning

Kim has been a spark plug for the Dodgers, as manager Dave Roberts put it.

“It seems like every time he gets out there, he does something to help us win,” Roberts recently said of Kim. “So, can’t give him any [higher] praise. He’s always prepared, and he is a spark plug for us, on both sides of the baseball.”

In 29 games since Betts went on the IL, Kim is hitting .289 with one home run, eight RBIs, five stolen bases and an OPS of .748. He's also played above-average defense at shortstop and, like Roberts said, seemingly always helps the team win games.

Roberts has been especially impressed with Kim's improvement in his second season in MLB.

“I think that he’s done a much better job of controlling the strike zone,” Roberts said of Kim. “I think that’s something that we felt he could be exposed by balls at the top, spin down below. He’s done a much better job of managing that, I think, so that’s probably the biggest thing.

“He’s got the ability to put the bat on the ball, get hits, steal bases, play good defense. And I think he’s done all that. I think for me, just the plate discipline piece has been much better.”

Kim played too well to warrant being sent down to the minor leagues, and the Dodgers rewarded him for it.

Where Will Hyeseong Kim Play With Mookie Betts Back?

Kim will now likely take over at second base with Betts sliding back to shortstop. He could also get opportunities at shortstop as the Dodgers ease Betts back into action.

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