The Los Angeles Dodgers welcomed back their veteran utility player Kiké Hernández on Monday night as he made his season debut against the Colorado Rockies following a lengthy recovery from elbow surgery.
Hernández, who calls himself the team’s “clown in the clubhouse,” was scheduled to start at third base batting ninth, filling in for the injured Max Muncy in the series opener.
“Just getting his energy back is going to be good for our group,” manager Dave Roberts commented.
The 34-year-old veteran missed the season’s opening 53 games while recovering from offseason elbow surgery to address an injury that had plagued him throughout the previous campaign.
“It’s fixed and I’m feeling pretty good right now,” Hernández stated from the dugout before Monday’s game.
The versatile player will contribute at second and third base, potentially fill in at outfield positions when needed, and serve as a pinch-hitting option from the bench. Muncy remains out with a right wrist problem but may return by Wednesday.
During the offseason, Hernández underwent surgery to repair damaged muscle tissue and a torn extensor tendon in his left elbow. The procedure addressed an injury he initially sustained during the season that progressively worsened over time.
“He’s a tough competitor, tough player,” Roberts noted. “I don’t think anyone appreciated how severe the injury was.”
Despite playing with the torn tendon, Hernández persevered through the discomfort and contributed to the Dodgers’ second straight World Series championship. He participated in all 17 playoff contests, posting a .250 batting average with nine runs scored, one home run, and seven RBIs. However, continuing to play caused the tendon to separate from the bone, necessitating surgical intervention.
“It was a rough year,” he explained. “The best description that I can put on it is every time I would get in my batting stance I would feel like I had a blowtorch on.”
Following the World Series victory, an MRI scan showed significant swelling, leaving Hernández to choose between rehabilitation or surgery. Uncertain about the decision, he allowed his family and agent to make the final call.
They reminded him of his previous attempt to play through a core injury for three seasons, which resulted in additional damage and multiple operations. They encouraged him to have another procedure performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
“I woke up with ElAttrache telling me, ‘This is the worst injury I’ve ever seen of this kind and I don’t know how you played,’” he recalled. “I told him, ‘Thank you, I take it as a compliment.’”
While still under the influence of post-surgery medication, Hernández contacted Andrew Friedman via FaceTime and asked ElAttrache to share his assessment with the president of baseball operations.
Before his phone was confiscated, Hernández told Friedman: “I did this for you so you better bring me back.”
In February, Hernández secured a $4.5 million, one-year deal to return for his 10th season with the organization.
Due to his surgery and rehabilitation schedule, Hernández was unable to participate in the World Baseball Classic representing his homeland of Puerto Rico.
“That hurt my soul a little more than I was in pain physically last year just because I’ve been dreaming about playing in the WBC in Puerto Rico since I was 13 years old and it kind of felt like it got taken away from me,” he shared. “You got to find a way to look at positives in life. I was like, it would have sucked a lot more if we’d lost the World Series and I still didn’t get to play in the WBC. It was a fair trade.”
Last October, Hernández set a franchise record with his 87th postseason appearance. He currently holds the eighth position in major league history with 103 playoff games.
Among players of Puerto Rican heritage, he ranks fourth with over 100 career postseason appearances, behind Jorge Posada (125), Bernie Williams (121), and Yadier Molina (104).
“Doing that as a Latino is very important, especially in the city where there’s such a big Latino community and we’re living in some rough times,” he said. “Especially in this city, the last two years there’s been a lot of weird things going on, so I take the responsibility to not only represent this organization but the Latino community, the Puerto Rican community. It’s something that’s very touching to my heart.”
Beginning the season on the injured list provided an unexpected benefit, allowing Hernández to spend quality time with his newborn son born in February and his daughter.
Once he stopped experiencing daily pain, he realized he could return by the end of his IL period.
“It didn’t feel like I had to rush, it didn’t feel like I was going to lose my spot,” he said. “That was very key.”
He completed 12 rehabilitation games with Triple-A Oklahoma City, hitting .214 with two doubles and three RBIs.
“I had lot of fun with those guys,” he said. “Now I’m back with my guys here and I’m ready to go.”
As the Dodgers pursue a third consecutive World Series title, Hernández plans to mentor younger teammates when he’s not providing comic relief.
“I’m in charge of checking guys,” he said. “I think guys know if I’m on them, and I’m tough on them, it means I care a lot about them.”
To make room for Hernández on the roster, utility player Santiago Espinal was designated for assignment.
The 31-year-old former All-Star recorded a .220 batting average with three doubles, one home run, and four RBIs across 26 games with the Dodgers.
“I’ll lob a call to him in the next couple days to thank him for everything he did for us,” Roberts said. “He was fantastic. Obviously, we had a tough decision to make. We were very forthright up front about the expectations. I think he respected that.”
