Dodgers Notes: Kiké Hernández Returns, Plan for LF, Max Muncy Update, Tommy Edman Behind & More

LOS ANGELES, CA—After a thrilling win over the Cincinnati Reds, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided the media with multiple updates regarding multiple players on the roster, including updates for Max Muncy, Roki Sasaki, and Tommy Edman. 

Kiké Hernández Returns; Buddy Kennedy DFA’d

Before yesterday’s game, the Dodgers announced that they had activated veteran utilityman Kiké Hernández from the 10-day injured list.

In order to make room on the 26-man roster, the team DFA’d infielder Buddy Kennedy.

Hernández, 34, had been on the injured list since July 7th due to left elbow inflammation, an injury that was much worse than he and the team had hoped.

In what was only supposed to be a minor IL stint, it ended up being over a month on the shelf, sending the Dodgers’ position player depth into disarray.

After receiving four injections in his elbow, Hernández said it’s the first time all season he has not felt pain, and he’ll continue to wear a compression sleeve to help alleviate the pain.

While Hernández was not in the Dodgers’ Game One lineup versus the Cincinnati Reds, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated that he’d be in there for the next two games but was unsure what position he’d play.

However, during Hernández’s five-game stint with the Triple-A OKC Comets, the right-handed hitter played third base, first base, center field, and left field, with Roberts stating both Hernández and Kim would be part of the left field plan moving forward.

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.

What’s the Plan for Left Field?

Speaking of left field, what is the plan for the remainder of the season for the Dodgers?

Well, while many fans are hoping for a Michael Conforto release soon, that day will have to be placed on hold until the Dodgers get a combination of Hyeseong Kim, Max Muncy, and Tommy Edman back.

However, Dave Roberts did confirm during yesterday’s pregame media scrum that left field will now be a “day-to-day” situation, further elaborating that there is no longer an everyday option.

“I guess the easy answer is day-to-day,” Roberts answered when asked about the outlook in left field moving forward.

“I don’t see anyone being the guy every day. But I do think that with Michael, Alex Call, Kiké, I like having some options and mixing and matching them. … I think each day is going to be an opportunity, but I would say it’s going to be hard-pressed for me to say one guy is going to have it every single day.

For the most part, left field has been Conforto’s to lose, and despite the 32-year-old posting the worst season among qualified outfield hitters this season (.187/.295/.322, 77 wRC+), the Dodgers have continued to run him out there due to their lack of options.

However, now with Kiké Hernández back, Hyeseong Kim’s return on the horizon, and eventually Tommy Edman and Max Muncy, it appears that Conforto’s tenure as a Dodger is coming to an end.

As mentioned above, the Dodgers plan to have Kiké Hernández and Hyeseong Kim get looks in left field, which would give them a nice righty/lefty platoon for the rest of the regular season.

Furthermore, once Edman returns, if he can play center field, that would allow the Dodgers to rearrange their current outfield by shifting Andy Pages to right and Teoscar Hernández to left.

Encouraging Max Muncy Update

While the Dodgers activated utilityman Kiké Hernández yesterday, Dave Roberts also provided a fantastic update on veteran third baseman Max Muncy.

Muncy was placed back on the 10-day injured list after just eight games with a right oblique strain, an injury similar to the one that sidelined him for nearly three months last season.

However, this time around, it appears that Muncy will be returning a lot sooner than initially thought.

Before yesterday’s game, Dave Roberts confirmed that Muncy had not only begun swinging a bat again but would face live pitching today at Dodger Stadium, and if all goes well over the next several days, Muncy could rejoin the team on their next road trip, which begins Tuesday in Pittsburgh.

Muncy was a massive part of the Dodgers’ offense until an ugly knee injury derailed what could have been an All-Star campaign.

After returning from a severe knee injury, Muncy picked up right where he left off, hitting .348/.531/.870 with a godly 1.401 OPS.

The return of Muncy will be a massive boost to the Dodgers’ potent scoring, which has suffered multiple injuries in the second half of the regular season.

Tommy Edman Behind & Roki Sasaki Timeline

Another player that the Dodgers are hoping to get back sooner than later is utilityman Tommy Edman, who has been on the 10-day injured list since early August after reaggregating his ankle.

It’s not the first time Edman has landed on the injured list due to this lingering ankle injury. Earlier in the season, in May, it forced him to miss multiple weeks and delayed his minor league rehab last season while with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Following positive updates regarding Muncy, Kim, and Kopech, Roberts stated that Edman had been progressing more slowly than initially hoped. However, the switch-hitting utilityman was still eying an early September return.

Edman has begun ramping up baseball activities, such as sprinting, and the team hopes that once his ankle is healed, he can play some innings in center field.

“Tommy is running, he’s going to hit in a group today. And so the hitting part of it has been fine, getting better, but it’s more of the mobility piece for Tommy,” Roberts explained. “So he’s a little bit behind, but it’s some time early September for him too. So he’s trending.”

As for 23-year-old right-handed rookie starting pitcher Roki Sasaki, the Dodgers are planning at least two more rehab outings before any shot of him rejoining the team in September.

Sasaki has currently appeared in two minor league games, with mixed results in each. Overall, the righty has a combined 6.75 ERA across 5.1 innings pitched and has shown the same issues as he did earlier in the season: mixed velocity and struggling with command.

It remains to be seen what Sasaki can contribute to the Dodgers this season, as the starting rotation is complete and the right-hander has never appeared out of the bullpen in his professional career.

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