LOS ANGELES, CA—Prior to tonight’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, the Los Angeles Dodgers have activated right-handed hitting utilityman Kiké Hernández off the 10-day injured list.
Hernández, 34, had been on the injured list since July 7th after dealing with left elbow discomfort, which caused pain in multiple baseball and non-baseball activities.
Hernández, since then, has undergone nonsurgical procedures, which have since accelerated his progress, allowing him to ramp up baseball activities such as running, fielding, throwing, and most recently, swinging a bat —a task that had caused him the most discomfort.
In a short sample size, Hernández hit an impressive .357 with a .938 OPS in fourteen minor league at-bats with the Triple-A OKC Comets during his minor league rehab stint.
On the defensive side, Hernández and fellow utilityman Hyeseong Kim have seen increased time in the outfield during their week-plus stay in the minors, particularly both parties seeing starts in left field, which is currently a spot occupied by Michael Conforto.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did confirm that Hernández and Kim would see some time in the outfield, and with left field being a massive hole in the Dodgers lineup, that seems to lineup with the plan.
While Hernández has not lit the world on fire this season, hitting just .195/.259/.367 with a 73 wRC+ in 186 plate appearances, he’s a fan-favorite and a postseason hero, which should go a long way with a tight division race and October baseball on the horizon.
To make room on the roster, the Dodgers DFA’d journeyman infielder Buddy Kennedy.
Kennedy was just 1-for-17 in his Dodgers tenure, filling in at third base for the injured Max Muncy, and despite making a few nice plays with the glove at the hot corner, with him not having any minor league options, he’ll be in search of his fourth team this season.
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