Betts' return prompts tough roster decision for Dodgers

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LOS ANGELES -- Mookie Betts' return is imminent, and the Dodgers have a difficult decision to make.

In order to clear an active roster spot for their starting shortstop on Monday, the Dodgers will likely have to choose between keeping Alex Freeland or Hyeseong Kim. Santiago Espinal could also potentially be the corresponding move, but because he's out of Minor League options, he seems more likely to remain with L.A. at least until Kiké Hernández is eligible to be activated from the 60-day injured list on May 24.

From their pure numbers alone, the decision would seem pretty clear-cut. But the Dodgers are taking more than each player's performance into consideration.

"Who's going to get the lion's share [of playing time], how much is Mookie going to play, the value of somebody going to the Minors and playing more vs. having some optionality with the roster. Opponent, off-days potentially and how much depth you need," manager Dave Roberts said over the weekend. "So there's a lot of different ways you can go about it. We're kind of in the process of having those conversations now."

Let's break down the case for each player who could be the corresponding move for Betts:

Alex Freeland
2026 stats: .235/.309/.337 slash line with 11 walks and 32 strikeouts in 112 plate appearances

Freeland made the Opening Day roster over Kim despite looking quite overmatched at the plate during Spring Training. That carried into the beginning of the season, but Freeland has actually started to turn things around over the past few weeks. In his last 16 games, Freeland is slashing .277/.370/.383.

As a switch-hitter, Freeland brings more versatility to the table, but the Dodgers have mostly been using him from the left-hand side, even pinch-hitting for him against some lefty pitchers. Freeland has been L.A.'s primary second baseman through the first quarter of the season, but he came up through the system as a shortstop and has experience at third base as well. Credit to Freeland: he's made this a much more difficult decision than it was shaping up to be two weeks ago.

"It’s a good problem in the sense of where we’re at," Roberts said. "But it’s a potential tough conversation."

Hyeseong Kim
2026 stats: .289/.353/.395 slash line with eight walks and 18 strikeouts in 86 plate appearances

After beginning the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, Kim has impressed in this stint with the Dodgers. Roberts has described him as the type of player who seems to make something happen every time he's in a game, noting how Kim has particularly grown in his approach at the plate.

"I think that he's done a much better job of controlling the strike zone," Roberts said. "I think that's something that we felt he could be exposed to balls at the top, spin down below. He's done a much better job of managing that."

Kim has split time with Miguel Rojas at shortstop, and the duo could feasibly become the new platoon at second base when Betts returns. Kim brings additional defensive versatility to the table with some limited experience in center field, but he hasn't appeared there for the Dodgers this year. Kim has thrived in his time back in the big leagues, and it would be surprising if L.A. doesn't continue to ride that wave with him.

Santiago Espinal
2026 stats: .188/.188/.250 slash line with no walks and five strikeouts in 34 plate appearances

Espinal has performed the worst and seen the least playing time of the three, so that could make him the natural odd man out. But contrary to logic, that might just be the reason why he should make the cut.

Betts' return will cut down the playing time for Freeland and Kim, who are still developing and would benefit from regular repetitions. If they're both on the roster as currently configured, then they would essentially split an already limited number of plate appearances given that both primarily play against right-handed pitchers. That's why demoting one of them could be to their benefit.

As a right-handed-hitting utility man, Espinal also brings some qualities to the bench that the Dodgers are lacking without Hernández and Tommy Edman. Once Hernández is activated and that role becomes redundant, then L.A. seems more likely to part ways with Espinal. But until then, he still fits on the roster.