Alex Freeland makes Opening Day roster despite quiet spring

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Alex Freeland against the Seattle Mariners during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. ANAHEIM, Calif. – The surprise wasn’t that the Dodgers had a difficult roster decision at the end of camp — it was how they chose to resolve it.

Manager Dave Roberts didn’t shy away from the weight of the call Sunday morning, labeling it “the toughest decision this spring. ” And in a clubhouse filled with established stars and versatile depth pieces, it was rookie Alex Freeland who emerged on the right side of that decision. The Dodgers optioned Hyeseong Kim to Triple-A Oklahoma City, clearing a path for Freeland to break camp with the big league club — a move that, on paper, might raise eyebrows but inside the organization followed a clear line of reasoning.

Roberts framed the decision less as a verdict on talent and more as a matter of timing and opportunity. “The driver is him playing six days a week,” Roberts said of Kim. “Logging a considerable number of at-bats which he wouldn’t get here.

” Kim’s spring was complicated by his participation with Team Korea in the World Baseball Classic, where, according to Roberts, mechanical inconsistencies crept into his swing. The Dodgers believe daily, multi-position reps — second base, shortstop, center field — in Oklahoma City will better serve his long-term development than sporadic usage in Los Angeles. That left the door open for Freeland.