Three seasons after leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency, Kiké Hernández returned in trade that sent a pair of Minor League pitchers to the Boston Red Sox.
Included in the deal were Nick Robertson and Justin Hagenman, both of whom spent the majority of the 2023 season with Triple-A Oklahoma City before joining the Red Sox organization.
A reunion with Hernández was met with an immense amount of positive reaction throughout the Dodgers clubhouse, and he received loud ovations in front of the home crowd at Dodger Stadium. Having previously spent the better part of his big league career with the Dodgers, Hernández’s return came with less expectations amid a down season but pressure to take on a key role.
Filling a need for a right-handed bat, Hernández saw a major jump in performance with the Dodgers. Going from a 59 wRC+ hitter with the Red Sox, improved production brought him up to closer to league average at a 96 wRC+.
In 54 games with the Dodgers, Hernández batted.262/.308/.423 with five home runs, 30 RBI and 19 runs scored. He displayed a huge swing in reverse splits, posting a 113 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers following the trade.
Kiké Hernández 2023 highlight
On August 24, Hernández arguably had his best offensive game of the season when he tallied three hits in five at-bats.
Included in three extra-base hit performance were two doubles and a solo home run. Hernández was a driving force for the Dodgers lineup in a 9-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians.
2024 outlook
Hernández underwent surgery to repair a double-hernia on October 24 and has yet to find a home for the upcoming season.
The veteran utilityman showed enough spark to remain on the radar of Major League teams, however, he too has been the victim of a slow-moving free agency this offseason.
Because of his multi-position ability, Hernández shouldn’t have trouble finding a way onto an MLB roster.
Hernández expressed interest in re-signing with the Dodgers, but that doesn’t look to be a likely outcome after their additions of Manuel Margot and Teoscar Hernández.
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