CINCINNATI -- The Dodgers promoted infielder Alex Freeland, their No. 3 prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 35 overall prospect, ahead of Tuesday night's game against the Reds. In a corresponding move, fellow infielder Hyeseong Kim was placed on the 10-day injured list with left shoulder bursitis.
Freeland is expected to get his first Major League start at third base in Wednesday night's series finale at Great American Ball Park. The team did not need to make a move to add him to the 40-man roster because there was already an open spot.
The switch-hitting Freeland hit .253 with a .798 OPS across 94 games with Triple-A Oklahoma. He led the Pacific Coast League with 75 walks and primarily played shortstop (67 games) and third base (26 games), with one start at second base, as well.
The 23-year-old was the Dodgers' third-round pick out of Central Florida in the 2022 MLB Draft. Freeland said he got the news of his callup from Comets manager Scott Hennessey on Monday night. His first call was to his dad, and he'll have family and friends on hand in Cincinnati when he makes his debut.
"It's been surreal," Freeland said. "It kind of came out of nowhere."
Manager Dave Roberts said on Monday night that Freeland would join the team in Cincinnati because Los Angeles was weighing a couple of potential IL moves. Tommy Edman was in the conversation after tweaking his right ankle over the weekend in Boston, but the Dodgers ended up placing Kim on the IL.
Kim has been dealing with a left shoulder injury for much of the past week, and it got to the point where it has affected his swing. The former KBO star is slashing .304/.338/.406 as a big league rookie, but he has cooled off considerably since the beginning of July, hitting only .193 with a .418 OPS in 21 games.
In the next couple of days, Kim will return to L.A. to get an injection in his shoulder. He'll be shut down from baseball activities for a spell.
"Hopefully it’s going to be shorter term," Roberts said. "But you know Hyeseong -- this guy is tough, tough as nails. He could have kept going. But … looking at the imaging, it’s best for him."
With Kim out and Max Muncy working his way back from a left knee bone bruise, Freeland will likely see most of his playing time at third base. The Dodgers also anticipate needing to manage Edman's ankle in the short term, which could lead to more playing time for Freeland.
Edman said on Monday that he doesn't "feel like [his ankle] is that big a deal," but the injury has lingered for a long while.
Edman spent the first half of May on the 10-day IL with right ankle inflammation. Since returning on May 18, he slashed .209/.271/.308 in 53 games entering Tuesday. There was another instance in early June where Edman aggravated his ankle and needed to miss a game.
"We’re going to have to manage it because he’s, obviously as most players feel, they’re not injured and it’s playable," Roberts said. "But with this ankle, it’s certainly continuing to show itself. We all have to be mindful of that."
In the meantime, Freeland should have a decent opportunity to get his feet wet in the big leagues and make a case for a longer stay.
"I like that infusion of youth and toughness," Roberts said. "He’s going to fit in good with our guys."