The Los Angeles Dodgers have left infielder Kim Hye-seong out of their 26-man roster for the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. His omission means no South Korean player is left in this year’s Major League Baseball postseason. Kim had been the last Korean still involved in the playoffs, so the decision closes the book on Korean participation in the 2026 postseason with the National League pennant series only one game old.
The Dodgers changed their roster shape for the series, carrying 13 pitchers, one more than they used in the division series win over the Atlanta Braves. Left-hander Justin Wrobleski came in, and Kim was the player to make way. He had appeared in only one game against Atlanta, as a defensive replacement. Without him, Los Angeles opened the series on the road on Sunday at American Family Field and lost 2-1 to the Brewers.
The decision follows a reduced role for Kim this year. He played 43 regular-season games in 2026, down from 71 in his rookie season, and spent most of the second half in the minor leagues before the club recalled him at the end of September. He batted .259 with five stolen bases, compared with a .280 average and 13 steals in 2025. Those numbers left him on the fringe of a deep Dodgers squad, and his late-season recall was not enough to secure a place once the club opted for extra pitching depth against Milwaukee.
Kim’s omission also carries a historical footnote for Korean baseball. As a rookie in 2025, he was part of the Dodgers’ roster during their run to a second consecutive World Series title. No Korean player has won World Series rings in back-to-back seasons, and his absence from the playing squad in the championship series removes him from any on-field part in the club’s bid for a third straight crown.
The other Korean players in the American majors have also finished their autumn. Braves shortstop Kim Ha-seong was the only other Korean to play in this postseason and went 0-for-5 across four games in the Wild Card Series and the division series before Atlanta were knocked out by the Dodgers. The San Diego Padres reached the playoffs, but utility player Song Sung-mun was not named in their 26-man postseason roster.
