The L.A. Dodgers are out to a hot 3-0 start to the 2026 season. But they're getting heat for a fan favorite player's demotion.
They opened at home to soldout crowds, celebrated their 2025 World Series victory in style, and then swept NL West rival the Arizona Diamondbacks while having Sunday off to relax. In each of the three wins over Arizona, the Diamondbacks climbed out to a 2-0 lead before the Dodgers came back in the latter innings to win the game.
Edwin Diaz has his own trumpet player on call at Dodger Stadium. Shohei Ohtani has a $70 soda cup that gives free refills for the entire season. Will Smith is crushing home runs almost every game.Well, wrong, if you look at social media, as the Dodgers are under some fire for one of their final decisions before the season started.Kim Hye-seong was one of the team's more beloved rookie stories in 2025, with the utility speedster bringing life to the Dodgers during a part of the season when they were slacking. Kim was even on the field during the final out of the World Series, jumping for joy and hugging Mookie Betts after completing the now-famed double play to win the Dodgers back-to-back titles. And after a strong spring training where he had one of the best batting averages on the team, it seemed like a no-brainer that he would be on the Dodgers' opening day roster. Instead, Kim was demoted to the minor leagues, as the Dodgers decided to keep up youngster Alex Freeland and veteran Santiago Espinal over him. Thousands of comments and questions have flooded the Dodgers' official social media since then, and it's only gotten louder, even with L.A. opening the 2026 campaign with three exciting victories. On Saturday, Kim made a statement in Oklahoma City for the Comets, the Dodgers' AAA affiliate, going five-for-five in the game and showing that he is being wasted down in the minor leagues. While Freeland has already proven himself in the first few games of the season, hammering a home run and a double in his only start, Espinal's place on the roster might come into focus if Kim continues his stellar performances for the Comets.
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