BALTIMORE-- Hyun Soo Kim finally got his chance to play in the Major Leagues on Sunday. After a rough Spring Training that ended with him refusing the Orioles' request to go to Triple-A Norfolk, Kim sat on the bench for the first four games, until manager Buck Showalter put him into the lineup.
And the Korean outfielder helped out. He went 2-for-3 with two infield singles and scored a run in the four-run second in the Orioles' 5-3 victory over the Rays.
Kim admitted afterwards that he had some jitters before this game, especially since he did not play much in the last several days going back to the end of Spring Training.
• Machado delivers in big moments vs. Rays
"Today was a nervous day," Kim said through interpreter Danny Lee. "I tried to focus on just making contact on the pitches I am seeing, because it has been quite a while. So that was the main focus for me."
Kim did that in his first at-bat, topping a slowly-hit ball between the mound and third base that he beat out for Major League hit number one. The Orioles got the ball for him, and Kim said he'll keep it in a safe.
He scored later in that inning on a Manny Machado two-run home run and notched another infield single in the seventh. Nolan Reimold then replaced Kim and ended the rookie's day.

Kim's now a Major League player and happy to be one. But he was even more pleased that he helped the Orioles improve to 5-0, tying the franchise record for best start to a season.
"I was very happy that I was actually able to make contributions," Kim said. "That was only thing I tried to do every time I was at bat. Lucky or not, I will do my best to contribute to the team."