Teoscar Hernández provided a jolt for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their comeback win against the Colorado Rockies on Friday night, which lowered the magic number to clinch the National League West division to five.
Hernández launched his 30th home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the Dodgers back ahead after the Rockies had just tied the game. The homer was Hernández’s 19th of the season at Dodger Stadium.
“It’s the best thing, Hernández said of enjoying success in front of Dodgers fans.
“Especially because we’re fighting. We’re going to the playoffs but we’re trying to win the division and doing the job we’re doing, late in the season, it’s been great.”
Now in his ninth season, Hernández is having one of the best offensive years of his career. That’s coincided with establishing a strong bond with teammates.
“It’s been great. No complaints. It’s been a lot of fun and I’ve learned a lot from this group. Excited to be here,” Hernández said.
Following a down year in 2023 with the Seattle Mariners, Hernández posting a 30-home run season for the second time in his career is a notable milestone.
“It’s great, Hernández acknowledged. “Last year, I had a lot of downs at the beginning of the season. My goal was just to stay healthy and do the little things that the team needs me to do. I don’t think there’s any difference. I’ve just been healthier and things have been going great.”
A big part of what has made Hernández successful is the simplicity of his approach. That’s been the case since returning from getting hit by a pitch in the left foot and missing a few games.
“Just at the end of the season, trying not to do too much. That’s what’s been working for me so far,” the 31-year-old said.
“Just trying to stay with the same things and do the things I do to help the team win. For me, that’s what’s important right now.”
Will Dodgers re-sign Teoscar Hernández?
The Dodgers figure to have interest in re-signing Hernández during the offseason, but there also will likely be a strong market and potential bidding war.
The Dodgers may begin free agency by extending a qualifying offer to Hernández, which could make him a candidate to stick around for another season. Teams may not want to part with the draft pick in order to sign Hernández away from the Dodgers, but offense is at a premium across the league.
Hernández is among those right-handed bats that is RBI-minded, but with that, so come strikeouts. The Dodgers can afford to take the bad with the good, as his run production and clutch hitting outweigh the strikeouts.
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