LOS ANGELES -- When Kiké Hernández woke up after last November's procedure to repair the left elbow that had troubled him for much of the past season, his surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, was surprised by how bad the injury had gotten after months of playing through pain.
"'This was the worst injury I've ever seen of this kind, and I don't know how you played,'" Hernández recalled ElAttrache saying.
After hearing that, Hernández -- who was a free agent at the time -- picked up his phone to reach out to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.
"I FaceTimed Andrew right then and there, and I told him, 'ElAttrache, tell him what you just said,'" Hernández said. "And I was like, 'I did this for you, so you better bring me back.'"
The Dodgers indeed brought back the fan-favorite utility man, who was activated from the 60-day injured list and went 2-for-2 with an RBI double in Monday night's 5-3 win over the Rockies. Hernández hit ninth and played third base, with Max Muncy getting a third day off after being hit by a pitch on the right wrist on Friday night in Milwaukee. The Dodgers remain hopeful that Muncy can avoid the IL and return to the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale.
Fellow utility man Santiago Espinal was designated for assignment as the corresponding move. After joining the Dodgers on a Minor League deal during Spring Training, Espinal hit 9-for-41 (.220) in 26 games this season. The 31-year-old is out of Minor League options, and his role as a right-handed-hitting utility man became redundant once Hernández returned to action.
When Hernández re-signed with the Dodgers just before Spring Training, the team knew that he would miss a chunk of the early season, which is why the club opted to place him on the 60-day IL to begin the season. But Hernández's rehab progressed ahead of schedule, capped by a 12-game stint with Triple-A Oklahoma City in which he slashed .214/.298/.310 and primarily played third base, with appearances at second base and center field as well.
The Dodgers are rolling after going 7-2 on their road trip through Anaheim, San Diego and Milwaukee, and Hernández's return should bring an additional infusion of energy. The franchise leader in postseason appearances with 92 games and counting, Hernández truly comes alive once the calendar flips to October. But he can be a difference maker in the regular season as well.
"He's a tough competitor, tough player. And I don't think anyone appreciated how severe the injury was," manager Dave Roberts said. "He was not going to come out of the lineup and gave himself every opportunity to play with the pain that he was going through. That's kind of what makes him special. … Just getting his energy back is going to be good for our group."
Hernández hit .203 with a .621 OPS in 93 games in 2025 -- during which he played hurt for more than a month before landing on the IL for nearly two months in July. After receiving several pain-killing shots and other treatment, Hernández was confident that he could play out the rest of the season. He started every one of the Dodgers' postseason games, but he aggravated his elbow while attempting to make a diving catch on a Caleb Durbin triple in Game 3 of the NL Championship Series.
Up to that point, Hernández was in full "October Kiké" mode, slashing .379/.455/.517 through eight games. From NLCS Game 3 on, Hernández had a .143/.139/.229 slash line through the final nine contests.
"That play kind of brought me back to where I was on the IL," Hernández said. "But at that time, there was no time to go on the IL, so we just grinded through it."
Hernández is appreciative of what it took to get back to the big league field. He had mentally prepared himself to miss the first half, but his rehab went so smoothly that he returned right when his 60 days were up. He rued having to miss playing for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, but was grateful to spend more time with his growing family.
Above all, he can appreciate that it no longer feels like there's a "blowtorch" on his elbow whenever he assumes his batting stance.
"I think I was in so much pain last year," Hernández said, "that it helped with the patience.”