Although the Los Angeles Dodgers statistically have boasted one of the best offenses in baseball this season, the group has underperformed of late and multiple players are enduring a down year.
Among them is Teoscar Hernández, who played a key part in the Dodgers winning the World Series last season. Hernández parlayed that into a three-year, $66 million contract to accomplish a goal of remaining with the team.
Hernández’s second season with the Dodgers has included multiple injuries and only flashes of the power bat that brought balance to their lineup last year. One of those came Friday night with a solo home run in the seventh inning that proved to be the difference for the Dodgers in their 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres.
“I’ve been in a little bit of a struggle,” Hernández acknowledged after the game. “Not trying to think too much, and just trying to put a good swing on a pitch that I can get in the strike zone.”
Hernández added he’s continued “working really hard” throughout the season to find better consistency at the plate and will continue doing so.
“Some days it’s good, some days it’s bad, some days it’s in between,” he said. “Hitting is not easy, but I’m going to continue to keep working and trying to be consistent for the month and a half that we have, and hopefully in the playoffs.”
One key factor moving forward is Hernández’s health has improved and he seemingly is past feeling the effects of separate groin/adductor and bone bruise injuries. That’s been most apparent in right field, where Hernández has recently made catches on balls that were often dropping earlier in the year.
Teoscar Hernández downplays Padres games
Plenty has been made of the Dodgers’ struggles coinciding with the Padres catching fire and overtaking them in the National League West before Friday’s game moved the teams back into a tie.
Individually and collectively, Dodgers players continue to downplay the notion of added significance with facing San Diego six times over a 10-day span.
Hernández echoed that sentiment, noting he didn’t feel any heightened emotions.
“It’s a good team, they are playing really good baseball right now, like a bunch of teams in the league,” Hernández said. “We know it’s not going to be easy. We know they’re not going to give us the games. They’re going to fight until the last out.
“We just need to still do the same thing and just come back and play hard.”
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