The Los Angeles Dodgers placed Kiké Hernández on the 60-day injured list, opening up a spot on their 40-man roster for Jack Suwinski.
This was an expected roster move for the Dodgers as Hernández is still recovering from left elbow surgery he underwent at the start of the offseason.
That’s also what delayed Hernández re-signing with the club until Feb. 12, as the Dodgers did not want to use a roster space on an injured player if it was not necessary.
Hernández and the Dodgers agreed to a one-year, $4.5 million contract for the 2026 season. He returns to the club after playing 92 games last season, during which he hit .203/.255/.366 with eight doubles, 10 home runs, and 35 RBI.
Hernández appeared in all 17 playoff games despite his elbow injury, batting .250 with nine runs, one home run and seven RBI.
The decline in Hernandez’s production likely had some correlation with his elbow injury that bothered him while swinging, but didn’t affect him on defense. He also spent time on the IL during the season to treat his elbow.
The 34-year-old still had a memorable moment when he and Rojas turned a game-winning double play in Game 6 of the World Series to force a winner-take-all matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Hernández made a running catch in left field and then fired the ball to Rojas at second base, who scooped the low throw while keeping his foot on the bag to double up Addison Barger.
The Dodgers went on to defeat the Blue Jays in Game 7 to capture their third World Series title since 2020, making Hernández a three-time champion with the team.
Dodgers placed Evan Phillips on 60-day IL
When the Dodgers signed Hernández, they placed Evan Phillips on the 60-day IL to open up the needed space on their 40-man roster.
That was another expected move as Phillips is recovering from Tommy John surgery that he underwent in late May. The recovery time is typically around 12-18 months, and the hope is that the right-hander will return in July.
Phillips re-signed with the Dodgers on Feb. 11 to a one-year contract worth $6.5 million.
If you love our reporting, choose DodgerBlue.com as a preferred source on Google.
