LOS ANGELES -- While a left elbow injury cost Kiké Hernández months of the past two seasons, the Dodgers' fan-favorite utility man came out on the other side of his rehab with something gained: a hobby.
Hernández missed nearly two months of the 2025 season with inflammation in his left elbow, an ailment that significantly limited the baseball activities he was able to participate in for an extended stretch. As boredom set in, Hernández found himself gravitating toward collecting cards to pass the time.
While completing the final stages of his rehab from an offseason procedure to address the elbow issue that hindered him last year in a season-opening IL stint this year, Hernández took his interest in cards one step farther by filming videos of himself ripping packs and posting them on social media, including YouTube and Instagram. His account on those sites is "PoKikémon" -- although his collection spans more than just Pokémon.
"I needed something to keep me busy, and figured that was something that could keep me busy and something that would make the IL stint go by a little faster," Hernández said. "And then people liked it, so I kept doing it."
What started as a distraction has become somewhat of an obsession for Hernández.
"At this point, it's kind of like an addiction to ripping packs," he said.
Ripping packs brings Hernández back to his childhood, when he was an avid card collector. He picked up plenty of baseball cards, and he was really into Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. In the years since then, some of his early collections suffered the fate of many a young card collector's.
"Like a lot of moms out there, my mom threw my entire Pokémon collection away," he said.
Since Hernández's childhood, the market for cards and collectibles has boomed. It can be much more than just a hobby for those looking to fill out an extensive personal collection or even flipping rare cards for a profit. Hernández picked up on the buzz when he was on the IL last season and started opening packs for fun here and there.
Hernández started PoKikémon in April, once the Dodgers began traveling and he had to stay behind while rehabbing.
"I wasn't traveling with the team, so I needed something to do when the team was on the road," Hernández said. "I say 'something to do,' but filming one of those little episodes takes no more than five, six minutes. So yeah, doesn't kill that much time, but it kills a little bit."
With all the time he had to fill, cards became a real hobby for Hernández. He doesn't keep everything he opens, but he has amassed a solid collection. His personal favorites include a Helix SuperFractor card of Woody from Toy Story and his own Golden Mirror card from last year.
Beyond his personal collection, there's a social aspect to collecting for Hernández as well. He rips packs with his wife, Mariana, and his daughter, Penélope. As a family, they'll open Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and Pokémon cards together.
Hernández's Dodgers teammates get in on the fun, too. Some have appeared in the PoKikémon videos, including reliever Will Klein, whose custom Pokémon card glove is one of the most unique items in his own collection. Others participate off camera. Blake Snell and Edwin Díaz are collectors, and Hernández credits himself with getting Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages started.
"I just know that I got a couple of guys somewhat addicted to it," Hernández said, "and their collection has surpassed mine, which I'm proud of them."
Nowadays, a healthy Hernández, who has come back from elbow and oblique injuries this season, has a little less time to dedicate to expanding his collection. But whenever the busy baseball calendar lets up, he can pass the time by ripping packs.
"I didn't have any hobbies other than baseball, and it's a job, so it's not really a hobby," Hernández said. "I needed a hobby."