The absence of Teoscar Hernández from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup on Monday came as a surprise to many considering the sudden nature of the news and the fact there was a left-handed starter on the mound for the Chicago White Sox.
Hernández has been an iron man for the team all season long and has been especially effective against lefties with a .274 average, eight home runs, and a .914 on-base plus slugging percentage.
The Dodgers also just had a day off on Sunday and had another coming up on Thursday, which added to the confusion as to why he was scratched from the lineup.
It was later shared by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts that Hernández missed Monday’s game due to a personal reason, but was expected to return to the team the next day.
Hernández revealed that left the team because he flew back home to the Dominican Republic for his grandfather’s funeral, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times:
Teoscar Hernández returned to the team Tuesday afternoon after traveling to the Dominican Republic for the funeral of his 94-year-old grandfather, Pedro Perez, who died on Sunday morning.
Hernández spoke of his grandfather after returning to the team, revealing the two had a close bond, with the Dodgers’ star trying to find some positivity in the tough situation:
“I was close with him for my whole life, and he just loved, loved, loved baseball,” Hernández said of his grandfather, who was in failing health. “He was a really big fan. But he was getting sicker and sicker, so at some point, we were waiting for it. But I think now he’s in a better place. More peace.”
Hernández returned to the Dodgers on Tuesday, but was held out of the lineup for a second straight game.
The past 24 hours have been a whirlwind for Hernández, who has spent a lot of that time traveling via airplane, and not to mention the emotional fatigue. It makes sense that the Dodgers gave him another rest day considering the impact all that traveling must have had on his sleep schedule.
With Hernández missing the past two games, that now leaves Freddie Freeman as the only Dodgers player to not miss a game this season.
Dodgers linked to Garrett Crochet & Luis Robert Jr.
The MLB trade deadline is fast approaching and the Dodgers should be looking to buy, with holes in the roster that can be addressed in the trade market. Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. are two of the marquee names on the trade block with the White Sox most likely being sellers at the deadline.
The Dodgers are reportedly interested in both players and could be a team to watch before the deadline passes. The team had a chance to get a firsthand look at both players during their series against the White Sox this week.
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