LOS ANGELES -- Sitting in Los Angeles traffic on May 26, Kiké Hernández experienced something he never had before: his first anxiety attack.
He had just received a text confirming a Grade 3 tear in his left oblique -- a severe injury coming just two games and four at-bats after a grueling recovery from offseason elbow surgery.
"I could barely talk," Hernández recalled, having to call his wife to help calm him down. "I was like, 'Look, this is what happened. I don't know what's going on with my body. Maybe I'm too old.' [But] just hearing her calmed me down. I took a couple deep breaths and I was good to go."
Now, a full month ahead of his initial three-month timeline, the utility fan favorite is officially back on the Dodgers' active roster for Tuesday’s series opener against the Mariners. The Dodgers activated Hernández from the 10-day injured list, optioning infielder Alex Freeland to Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.
The return brings a mix of excitement and angst, especially given how his last stint on the active roster ended shortly after it began.
"A lot of nervousness," Hernández admitted. "Last time I sat here ... I was kind of telling you guys how great I felt, but I was also biting my tongue a little bit because I had just tweaked my oblique in BP. I feel like everything is in a pretty good spot right now -- trying to keep my 1.000 batting average going and just happy to be back with the boys."
The Grade 3 diagnosis -- typically a multi-month recovery that often requires surgery -- initially left Hernández expecting the worst. Simple daily functions like coughing or sneezing were painful. But to accelerate his return, he attacked his recovery with extreme discipline, combining stem cell treatment with daily hyperbaric chamber sessions, saunas, cold plunges and targeted core rotation -- all while relying on his signature humor to navigate the downtime.
"Symptoms-wise after the shot and everything, people were pretty impressed because I was kind of like joking around and being me and running around, pretending to rotate and swing and say, 'I don't have a Grade 3, that was a fake MRI' and all that stuff," said Hernández.
Beyond keeping the clubhouse loose, Hernández credited the medical staff's plan and focused on staying present. After seven rehab games and 20 additional at-bats between Arizona and Los Angeles, a six-week scan confirmed the major tear had fully healed.
"We had a great plan, attacked it the right way, and were rotating pretty early on to not let the scar tissue build up too much," Hernández explained. "So I think all that, when you add it together, is probably why I'm back as quickly as I have."
"I was literally going one day at a time," Hernández added. "Trying to be the best rehabber I could. And then during the game, I was trying to be the best teammate that I could. And honestly, I've only had four at-bats. I've only played two games and it's been a really long time. I've spent a lot of time on the IL, but it's honestly gone by somewhat fast. So I feel pretty good and happy to see what I can do out on the field."
Though Hernández is eager to jump right back in, manager Dave Roberts plans to be strategic with his workload over the next few days.
"I think a little bit," Roberts said on easing Hernández back in. "We've got three right-handers this series, so I'm not sure if he's going to get a start -- use him off the bench. But then after that, as projected, we've got five left-handed starters in a row. So there should be a lot of opportunities right there for him. But I think certainly, I mean, he's checked all the boxes."
Defensively, Roberts expects to mix Hernández in primarily at third base and left field, with occasional reps in center field to spell Andy Pages. Regardless of how Roberts eases him in, Hernández insists he won't play with any mental handbrakes on.
"The way that I play the game, I only know one speed and that's all out," Hernández said. "I tried to [think about the injury] in my first couple of rehab games and I felt a little stiff. ... I play, and if it goes, it goes. But I can't change the way that I play because I don't know how to play any other way."