Los Angeles Dodgers utility player Kike Hernandez is not available for the early part of the season, but he is taking steps to get back on the field.
Hernandez had elbow surgery over the offseason, hoping to return to full health after playing through the pain at the end of the 2025 season.
He toughed it out and played throughout the playoffs, not missing a single game and lining up all over the field.
However, Dave Roberts’ wildcard is watching from the dugout for the time being.
According to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, Hernandez is hitting in batting practice, a positive step forward for the defensive ace who has also been seen fielding ground balls and moving on the field over the past few weeks.
After Hernandez’s session, Roberts was quite positive about where the player was at.
“Taking grounders, the way he’s moving, the way he’s throwing, catching it, the swing, the ball coming off the bat, all that stuff, if I didn’t know any better, I would think he was in the lineup tonight,” Roberts said, adding that he would be “shocked” if he was not back by the end of his time on the 60-Day injured list.
Kike Hernandez wants a three-peat
Hernandez is seemingly quite motivated to win a third straight title. When he signed his one-year deal, the righty made it clear that he was going for the three-peat.
Amid the chatter about the Dodgers’ dynasty and the amount of money they spend, Hernandez is not taking the chance to contend and keep winning for granted.
“I take it as a compliment, I take it as a privilege,” Hernández said. “We’re playing in some weird times in the game where not every person that owns a team is trying to win. A lot of them are trying to make money. Fine. It’s their money. They can do whatever it is.
“Not all 30 teams are trying to win a World Series, and for us to be in a position where this team is doing whatever they can to put us in a position to compete deep into the season, deep into October, I take it as a privilege.”
Since rejoining the Dodgers in 2023, Hernandez has failed to make a consistent impact with his bat.
His hitting numbers are down in the regular season, but the Dodgers do not have him on the team to produce in the first 162 games, but rather need his experience and clutch hitting for the postseason.
He will gladly sacrifice the early part of the year for a full bill of health the rest of the season.
