When Major League Baseball suspended all operations more than one month ago, players were left with a choice to remain in the city of their Spring Training complex, head to their team’s home, or where they spend the offseason.
Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman indicated the expectation was the organization’s players would be split relatively evenly between the three options. Multiple Dodgers, including Cody Bellinger and Kiké Hernandez, make their homes in Arizona.
Hernandez spent the entirety of this past offseason training in The Grand Canyon State, which he believed was extremely beneficial in preparing for what was shaping to be a key season. It marked the first time Hernandez had spent all winter in Arizona rather than splitting time in Puerto Rico or Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, Arizona is home for Bellinger anyhow. With that, the two have managed to regularly work with Dodgers co-hitting coach Brant Brown, which Hernandez said he’s grateful for, via Jorge Castillo of the L.A. Times:
He is hitting twice a week at a batting cage with teammate Cody Bellinger, Dodgers co-hitting coach Brant Brown and Texas Rangers catcher Blake Swihart. They have access to the facility because Swihart knows the owner. Having Brown around, he said, makes a difference.
“Brownie’s always willing to work,” Hernández said. “He’s a lab rat for the cage and we’re lucky to have him here. Otherwise, we’d just buy a net and hit off a tee, I guess.”
As players face a state of limbo and uncertainty with respect to a timeline for resuming baseball, they have been forced to get creative and in some cases make do with with limited options.
Justin Turner is among the Dodgers who purchased a net and hits off a tee at home, and Will Smith is also doing the same. Gavin Lux occasionally manages to take batting practice with his uncle when weather in Wisconsin permits, but his weight training workouts are pieced together.
While a potential date for Opening Day remains unclear, players and MLB collectively remain hopeful and determined to have some semblance of a regular season in 2020.
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