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Korean players face challenges in MLB, but resilience still shines through

Published: 26 Apr. 2026, 19:10

San Francisco Giants' Lee Jung-hoo is tagged out at home by Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 21, in San Francisco. (AP/YONHAP]

Korean major leaguers are pushing through adversity. Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers' Kim Hye-seong collected two hits each, and the San Diego Padres' Song Sung-mun, currently in the Triple-A team El Paso, is finally set to reach the major leagues.

Lee started in right field and batted sixth against the Miami Marlins at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Saturday, going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. His season batting average rose to .287, with 27 hits in 94 at-bats. His OPS, also known as on-base plus slugging, climbed to .773.

Lee had struggled early in the season and was batting just .143 with a .439 OPS through April 9, but he has since hit .404 over his last 14 games. After hitting his second home run of the season the previous day, Lee kept that rhythm going.

San Francisco Giants right fielder Lee Jung-hoo hits a double against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at Oracle Park on April 25. [DARREN YAMASHITA-IMAGN IMAGES, REUTERS/YONHAP]

He turned on a 158-kilometer-per-hour (98-mile-per-hour) fastball from Marlins starter Eury Pérez and drove it over the right fielder’s head for a double. The ball traveled 112 meters (367 feet).

In his second at-bat in the fourth inning, Lee lined a 156.3-kilometer-per-hour pitch from Pérez to left center for another double. It was a meaningful swing for Lee, who had shown vulnerability against high fastballs on the outer half.

Lee then drew a walk with one out in the sixth and scored on Patrick Bailey’s RBI hit. In the seventh, the ball went straight to an infielder for a groundout.

Los Angeles Dodgers' Kim Hye-seong watches his RBI single during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco on April 23. [AP/YONHAP]

Kim started at shortstop and batted eighth against the Chicago Cubs, finishing 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Kim, who has posted multihit games in three straight contests, raised his season average from .351 to .357, with 15 hits in 42 at-bats. He got going with a single to center with two outs in the second inning, then added another single to center in the fourth with one out and later scored as the Dodgers trailed 3-2. With the Dodgers up 10-4 in the sixth and runners on second and third with no outs, Kim brought home the runner from third on a grounder to first.

Kim was sent down to the minors after the season opened, but he returned to the majors on April 5 after Mookie Betts suffered a back injury. He has since played well enough to establish himself as a near-everyday player. Still, local reports have suggested that with Betts improving, either Kim or Dodgers prospect Alex Freeland could be sent back to the minors. Kim is now in a position where he has to play his way through that competition.

Los Angeles Dodgers' Kim Hye-seong hits a single during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Friday, April 24, in Los Angeles. [AP/YONHAP]

Song, who took on the challenge of playing in the United States this year, is finally headed to the Major League. San Diego recalled Song from Triple-A El Paso ahead of its two-game Mexico City Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.

The MLB allows clubs to expand their active roster to 27 players for international series played outside the United States. Song earned one of those spots as San Diego’s 27th man. He did not appear in Saturday's game, but he will wait for an opportunity in Sunday's matchup. Song began the season on the injured list with side pain and batted .293 with a .689 OPS in 20 games for Triple-A.

San Diego Padres third baseman Song Sung-Mun looks on from the dugout during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Peoria Sports Complex on Feb 23, in Peoria, Arizona, [JAYNE KARMIN-ONCEA-IMAGN IMAGES, REUTERS/YONHAP]

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM HYO-KYOUNG [[email protected]]