LOS ANGELES — Over the previous couple of months, accidents have chipped away on the Dodgers’ position-player depth. They acquired the primary of a number of gamers on the mend again on Monday, when utility man Kiké Hernández was activated forward of the collection opener towards the Reds.
Hernández had been on the 10-day injured checklist since July 7 with irritation in his left elbow. Previous to then, he had been enjoying damage for greater than a month.
“I performed until, principally, I felt like I could not even maintain the bat anymore,” Hernández stated. “And I imply, it was form of dumb on my finish. However I’ve all the time felt that if I really feel like I may play, I am not going to go on the IL. By the point we went in for the MRI, it was a little bit too late.”
Earlier than being sidelined, the versatile Hernández noticed the majority of his enjoying time within the infield. However given the place the Dodgers’ roster is now, they could have extra of a necessity for him within the outfield down the stretch.
Final week, some poor protection from Teoscar Hernández sparked a dialog about whether or not the Dodgers have to shake issues up in proper subject. In the intervening time, there isn’t any plan to make a change. However the larger query with regards to the outfield configuration is likely to be the way to get essentially the most offensively out of the workforce’s left fielders.
Coming into Monday, Dodgers left fielders mixed for the second-lowest OPS (.661) out of the workforce’s place teams, larger solely than the second basemen (.653).
Michael Conforto has been the Dodgers’ major left fielder, and whereas he put collectively his greatest offensive month in July, August is shaping as much as be his worst month in an total tough season on the plate.
Going ahead, supervisor Dave Roberts stated he sees left subject being open-ended. Some alternate options to Conforto embody Alex Name and Kiké Hernández. Apparently, Hyeseong Kim began the primary sport of his rehab task with Triple-A Oklahoma Metropolis in left, the place he performed sparingly in his KBO days.
Kiké Hernández, who usually comes into his personal when the video games imply essentially the most, might be a giant addition because the Dodgers struggle for the NL West title within the season’s closing month and alter.
“Kiké is a man that is type of the wild card within the sense of, hasn’t had the yr up up to now,” Roberts stated. “The previous couple of weeks, he was damage. However he is a man that we performed daily within the postseason.”
For in regards to the first month of his IL stint, Hernández did not make a lot progress. He ended up getting 4 injections in his elbow in that span. The primary three — cortisone, platelet-rich plasma and hydrodissection with stem cells — did not do something.
4 days after getting a fourth injection — one other cortisone shot — Hernández lastly felt higher. If it hadn’t labored, he may need wanted season-ending surgical procedure.
“I nearly cried within the morning as a result of it was the primary morning that I awoke pain-free,” he stated. “It was a pair days after that — began swinging two weeks in the past, to be precise, on a Monday. It has been a fast ramp-up.”
Hernández was hitting .195 with a .626 OPS when he hit the IL. It’s no assure that he shall be an offensive improve in left subject, however his numbers took a dip after he damage his elbow on a clumsy slide within the closing week of Could.
“I have never been essentially the most prolific hitter on the earth, however I am additionally not a sub-.100 hitter for a month,” Hernández stated. “It acquired very difficult. It acquired to the purpose the place I felt like I could not catch as much as the fastball. After which once I was making the appropriate changes to have the ability to catch as much as the fastball, I could not modify to the breaking pitches.”
In 5 rehab video games with Oklahoma Metropolis, Hernández went 5-for-14 (.357) with a pair of doubles and three RBIs. Defensively, he performed third base, left subject and heart subject.
Whereas going via his pregame work on Monday, Hernández wore a sleeve over his left elbow, which he utilized in each sport besides one throughout his rehab task. He feels good enjoying with out it, however it offers him some safety whereas swinging and defending his place.
And maybe there shall be one other profit.
“Hopefully,” Hernández stated, “the brace goes to make me like Shohei.”
