Orioles' Hyun Soo Kim: In line to face lefties

The Orioles are considering giving Kim more opportunities against left-handed pitchers this season, Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports.

Analysis:

Kim went 0-for-18 with four walks against lefties last season, usually sitting in favor of Joey Rickard or Nolan Reimold. Rickard and Christian Walker linger as the right-handed hitters most likely to platoon with Kim and newcomer Seth Smith, who also struggles against lefties. Manager Buck Showalter notes that the 29-year-old is already working out in Sarasota instead of participating in the World Baseball Classic. It still seems unlikely that Kim will start every day in left field, but he appears poised to see more at-bats against southpaws, given the Orioles' lack of quality depth, which could result in a lower batting average and a slight uptick in counting stats over a full season.