Kiké Hernández was among the Los Angeles Dodgers players who missed a significant amount of games during the 2025 season because of injury.
Hernández was plagued by left elbow trouble that started occurring after he slid head-first into home plate during a game against the Cleveland Guardians on May 28.
Hernández initially attempted to play through the discomfort, but it significantly impacted him at the plate, and he wound up going on the 10-day injured list on July 7.
The 34-year-old didn’t return until Aug. 25, which came after he underwent nonsurgical procedures in an effort to find a solution. He continued to be limited from that point on, but managed to play in all 17 of the Dodgers’ postseason games.
During an appearance on “Baseball and Coffee” with Adam Ottavino, Hernández said he aggravated his left elbow injury during the playoffs but pushed through the pain to stay in the Dodgers lineup:
“I would feel it here and there, but I was fine. Once the playoffs came in, adrenaline took over and I wasn’t feeling it. And then Game 3 of the NLCS, shadow game. Not only was it tough to see at the plate, but it was also tough to see it on defense. Caleb Durbin hit a ball down the line that I thought I had a chance. I’m pretty sure I missed it by like 37 feet.”
Hernández hit just .250/.290/.359 with four doubles, one home run and seven RBI in the postseason this year, which are well below his career averages. The lack of production can possibly be attributed to the left elbow injury, though Hernández did have some memorable moments as well.
His biggest contribution was turning a crucial double play with Miguel Rojas that helped the Dodgers win Game 6 of the World Series.
Kiké Hernández played through UCL injury
Hernández not only became a free agent after the Dodgers won the 2025 World Series, but he also underwent left elbow surgery to repair the issue that plagued him for most of the year.
Hernández later revealed that he also played through a UCL injury for most of the 2025 season.
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