Shohei Ohtani gives verdict on Hyeseong Kim’s first career MLB hit

Hyeseong Kim and Shohei Ohtani's moment at the dugout after the Los Angeles Dodgers' 7-4 win against the Miami Marlins on Monday became one of the highlights of the game.

Their interaction and Ohtani’s response to Kim’s first career MLB hit stole the fans' hearts.

During the post-game interview, Ohtani noted how special it was to be a part of Kim’s HR moment and to see him mark his first MLB hit at LoanDepot Park. Before Monday’s performance, Kim had made his major league debut as a pinch-runner and stole a base.

During his 2nd at-bat in Monday’s game, Kim blasted off a homer to left field. The team celebrated it more, as they won the game against the Miami Marlins.

“Just an amazing performance by Kim. Really good overall, even yesterday as well. So I’m very happy for him," Shohei Ohtani said.

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Shohei Ohtani added that he got enough time to watch and become close with Kim during his rehab process in the off-season. Just like Ohtani, the rookie also reciprocated the feelings, saying that it was special seeing Ohtani celebrate his moment more than his own HR hit.

Hyeseong Kim speaks on mindset after first career MLB hit

Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Hyeseong Kim spoke to the media after celebrating his first career MLB hit against the Miami Marlins. He said that at that moment, all he thought about was stealing a base and making sure to get his teammate on base.

“You know our team is very strong team. We play very good baseball. I just wanted to contribute to the team and the result came out, so I think I really contribute today,” Hyeseong Kim said as per his interpreter Joe Lee.

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When asked what he would do with his first career ball, Kim said that he will send it back home, as it represents a very special moment for him in his first MLB outing. Kim is expected to make a few more starts with the Dodgers until Tommy Edman returns from the IL.

The Dodgers are 24-11 on the season following their latest win against the Marlins. They are atop the NL West with the most wins in MLB.

About the author

Kaushani Chatterjee is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda with a Master's in English and over 4 years of experience at publications such as FirstSportz.

Kaushani 's favorite teams are the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. She is a fan of Yankees as a group, their star power and their history oozes class. As for the Dodgers, Kaushani likes Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.

She started watching the MLB during her school years and developed a keen interest in the sport. Now she is hooked.

Kaushani's hobbies include guitar, sketching, watching anime (tons of them), listening to music, and watching Asian dramas (Korean/Thai in general).

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Edited by Bhargav