The Los Angeles Dodgers made the widely expected move to re-sign Kiké Hernández on a one-year, $4.5 million contract, which was officially announced on Feb. 12. It is the third consecutive one-year deal he has signed with L.A.
This outcome was never in doubt as a reunion made too much sense on both sides for an agreement not to be reached. Miguel Rojas was among those on the Dodgers who were confident that Hernández would eventually be re-signed, noting how important he is to the team’s success.
Hernández played in 92 games last season, hitting .203/.255/.366 with eight doubles, 10 home runs and 35 RBI. He also appeared in all 17 playoff games, batting .250 with nine runs, one homer and seven RBI, becoming the franchise leader in postseason appearances in the process.
Because of left elbow surgery performed in the offseason, Hernández is expected to start the season on the injured list to recover fully. This was the main reason why his deal with the Dodgers took so long to materialize.
The 34-year-old had previously speculated on Adam Ottavino’s Baseball & Coffee podcast that he would miss around one to two months. However, the Dodgers are projecting closer to a midseason return for the right-hander, according to Katie Woo of the Athletic:
As expected, Dodgers are targeting midseason returns for Kiké Hernández & Evan Phillips per general manager Brandon Gomes. Hernández will start taking swings soon, while the org is looking at Phillips as more of a “deadline acquisition,” in terms of timeline, Gomes said.
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) February 15, 2026
This shouldn’t be an issue for the Dodgers, who have more than enough talent to handle Hernández’s absence. At this point in his career, he is far more valuable to the Dodgers in the postseason than in the regular season.
There are also intangible benefits that come with having Hernández in the building, a belief that is held by Rojas and others inside the organization.
With Hernández out for a while, the Dodgers also brought in Santiago Espinal to compete for a spot as the right-handed utilityman.
Dodgers expect Evan Phillips to return in July
The Dodgers re-signed Evan Phillips to a one-year, $6.5 million contract last week after non-tendering his contract earlier in the offseason.
He pitched in just seven games before being placed on the IL due to right forearm discomfort that ultimately led to season-ending Tommy John surgery.
Phillips will miss the start of the 2026 season and is expected to return sometime in July.
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