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▲ Jared Dale has seen his bat cool off and his average tumble ⓒKIA Tigers
[SPOTV News=Gwangju, Kim Tae-woo] Jared Dale (26), KIA’s Asian-quota infielder, has gone cold at the plate, leaving the club with a problem. After several defensive lapses, his offensive struggles raise questions about how much the team can rely on him.
Dale started at second base and hit second in KIA’s May 7 game against Hanwha at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field. He finished 0-for-3 and was replaced by Kim Gyu-seong. KIA fell 3-11, and Dale’s lack of production has only deepened the club’s concerns.
Despite the slump, manager Lee Beom-ho gambled by putting Dale in the No. 2 spot. Kim Ho-ryeong, who had been hitting second, was rested, and Lee tapped Dale for the role. The move, however, didn’t yield results.
In his first at-bat, Dale squared up a pitch from starter Jeong Woo-ju but popped a line drive to the first baseman. The contact looked encouraging, but it was an out. His second plate appearance in the second inning was more costly.
▲ Dale, slotted second on the 7th at Gwangju against Hanwha, finished 0-for-3 and failed to contribute ⓒKIA Tigers
Trailing 0-1 in the second, KIA worked two walks and a hit to load the bases with two outs. Park Min then drew an 11-pitch bases-loaded walk to tie the game — a patient, valuable at-bat that followed five foul balls down in a 2‑strike count.
Jeong began to wobble, and Park Jae-hyun elected not to swing, drawing a four-ball to put KIA ahead. Hanwha brought in reliever Yoon San-heum. With two outs and the bases still loaded, Dale had a chance to seize the early momentum.
Instead, on a 1-1 pitch, he hit a weak grounder to the pitcher, ending the rally. KIA failed to carry the momentum and surrendered five runs in the third, losing the lead. Dale also made a defensive miscue in the third when he failed to handle Kim Do-young’s throw cleanly. The play involved overlapping runners and fielders, so it wasn’t solely his fault, but his cover of second appeared a step late.
In the fifth inning, his third plate appearance produced a popup to first. His swing looked rushed, and he didn’t get another chance to respond.
▲ Over his last 10 games, Dale has hit just .179, dragging his season average down to .263 ⓒKIA Tigers
Across his past 10 games, Dale is 5-for-28 (.179). Early in the season he posted multi-game hit streaks and hovered around .300, earning praise for his bat. But a steady decline has pushed his average down to .263. He isn’t a big power threat, so his run production has dipped as well.
The team initially envisioned him at shortstop, and he opened the season there, but basic mistakes and questions about his defensive reliability emerged. That led to more starts at shortstop for Park Min and Jung Hyun-chang, while Dale has been used at second and first.
With no clear defensive edge over domestic players and a slump at the plate, Dale’s value has fallen sharply. If he were producing offensively, he’d have a strong case for a starting role — but he hasn’t been. Park Min and Jung Hyun-chang have shown better hitting recently. With concerns growing about Dale and the club already dealing with holes in its pitching staff, KIA’s roster plans are drawing increased scrutiny.
▲ With defensive issues and a struggling bat, Dale’s case for a starting spot is weakening ⓒKIA Tigers
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