Free-agent outfielder Hyun Soo Kim will return to Korea after two years in the major leagues. Kim had a nice rookie campaign with the Orioles in 2016, where he hit .306 in 305 at-bats, but he struggled in 2017 with the Orioles before being dealt to the Phillies as part of a package for starterJeremy Hellickson. Kim combined for a .231 batting average between the two teams. He will be entering his age-30 season.
Just days after being acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Jeremy Hellickson, outfielder Hyun Soo Kim will debut for the Phillies today against the Atlanta Braves. The 29-year-old Korean native made his MLB debut last season with Baltimore, hitting .302 with 22 RBI in 95 games. Today, he'll start in left field and bat seventh. Kim will replace Nick Williams in the starting lineup. Williams has struggled over the past week after a solid start, hitting just .192 with four RBI. Since his promotion, he's now hitting .277 with four home runs and 19 RBI. Kim, meanwhile, is hitting .232 with one home run and 10 RBI this season.
Baltimore Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim drew the start on Wednesday, hitting leadoff against the Chicago White Sox. He finished the game 1-for-4 with a two-RBI single. Last season, Kim was an on-base machine, posting a .302/.382/.420 line over 346 plate appearances. This season over 89 plate appearances, he is hitting only .253/.318/.329, and his walk and strikeout rates have headed in the wrong direction. Right now, he is stuck in an outfield platoon with Joey Rickard and Seth Smith, so playing time will be tough to come by. He needs to get back to last year's form if there is any hope of consistent playing time. For fantasy purposes, he should be left on the waiver wire for now in most formats.
Hyun Soo Kim
• LF
•
Phillies
