Kiké Hernández continues to make significant progress in his rehab and now has set a target return date to the Los Angeles Dodgers for May 25, he told Petros and Money.
Hernández began the season on the 60-day injured list while recovering from left elbow surgery he underwent in the offseason.
The utilityman has been working out and preparing at Dodger Stadium, and should come off the IL just after he’s first eligible to do so:
“Feeling great, man. We’re really ahead of schedule, which is a good thing. Left elbow surgery, they put me on the 60-day (injured list), so I’ve still got to wait. I am eligible to come off on the 24th (of May), but chances are I’m going to be active on the 25th if everything goes well, according to plan the rest of the way, rehab assignment. The 24th is a day game in Milwaukee, and I would rather play at home than the road.”
Hernández will still need to go on a rehab assignment, which should begin sometime at the start of May. Hitters have 20 days before they need to be activated once they begin their assignment.
In the meantime, Hernández will continue to workout and partake in baseball activities. He has been hitting, taking ground balls and running the bases before games at Dodger Stadium.
When Hernández first underwent surgery, the belief was he would return around the midseason point, but things have progressed much more rapidly than the Dodgers expected.
Hernández only believed he would miss around two months, despite the Dodgers’ slower timeline. Still, the team is likely to remain cautious, as they do with all their injured players.
Kiké Hernández contract with Dodgers
Hernández re-signed with the Dodgers on a one-year, $4.5 million contract for the 2026 season, but that was delayed until just before Spring Training began so the Dodgers could place him on the injured list after making the deal official.
The 34-year-old appeared 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, despite dealing with his elbow injury. He batted .250 with one home run, nine runs scored and seven RBI, while also making one of the most memorable defensive plays of their October run.
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