For the second season in a row, outfielder Hyun Soo Kim has been relegated to bench duty for an Orioles team that desperately needs his on-base ability. Instead of giving Kim a well-earned regular spot in the lineup, manager Buck Showalter has preferred to hand playing time to less proven and less deserving players with questionable skillsets.
Deja vu all over again
This is a carbon copy of what happened a year ago. Kim, who struggled in the 2016 spring and refused a minor league assignment, was a fixture on the bench until becoming a starter in late May.