Teoscar

Hernández

The Dodgers have Alex Call starting in left field tonight. Hernández had started eight straight games, but he was just 3-for-29 with one RBI during the stretch. He’s hitting .241/.312/.380 in 67 games overall.

It’s Hernández’s fourth straight hitless game. He was swinging the bat really well in the couple of weeks leading up his hamstring injury at the end of May, but since returning, he’s 4-for-41 with one homer and no other extra-base hits. Given the quality of his defense, he needs to do considerably better than his current .243/.319/.387 line to justify regular playing time on a team as strong as the Dodgers are.

Michael King allowed Mookie Betts and Max Muncy to reach to start the seventh in a 3-0 game, resulting in Morejon’s entrance. Jake Cronenworth then botched a potential double play, loading the bases with no outs, and Hernández hit the next pitch 419 feet. Hernández has started four out of five games since coming off the IL and gone 3-for-16 with a couple of walks. The slam tonight was his first since 2024 and sixth of his career.

Tommy Edman gets the nod in left field in his place. Hernández has gone 2-for-8 with an RBI in a pair of games since returning from the injured list earlier this week. The 33-year-old veteran slugger will likely need to produce in the next few months to keep his spot with Los Angeles moving forward since they have a couple talented outfield prospects nearing the majors including phenom Josue De Paula and on-base machine Mike Sirota. They also have James Tibbs III tearing the cover off the ball at Triple-A.

Hernández returns to Los Angeles’ lineup following a nearly five-week absence recovering from a hamstring strain. He’s back in left field and hitting fifth against the Athletics on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. The 33-year-old veteran slugger homered in three of his four minor league rehab contests for Triple-A Oklahoma City. He’s cobbled together a pedestrian year at the dish by his typical standards, slashing .276/.348/.436 with seven homers, 31 RBI and two steals in 204 plate appearances through 51 games. However, his return adds some much-needed over-the-fence pop for the Dodgers as they approach the All-Star break.

The plan appears to be for him to get regular days off initially. There was some thought of Hernández returning this weekend, but the Dodgers will hold off until the series in Sacramento. Ryan Ward figures to lose his spot when Hernández is activated, and Tommy Edman will begin playing more second base at Alex Freeland’s expense.

The probability feels extremely high that Hernández will be activated from the injured list at some point this weekend or early next week. The 33-year-old veteran slugger went deep for the third consecutive rehab contest on Friday evening while playing six innings in left field. The original expectation was that he would be ready for Monday’s series opener against the Athletics, but he could potentially make it back for the final two games of their current series against the division-rival Padres.

It was Hernández’s first rehab game since going on the injured list on May 29th. He’ll likely take the rest of the week to get his at-bats in and then should return to the Dodgers lineup. That will push Ryan Ward back to the bench or the minors.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters they’re optimistic Hernández will be ready for their series opener against the Athletics on June 29. The 33-year-old veteran slugger will get a few rehab contests under his belt before returning. He’s been on the shelf recovering from a low-grade hamstring strain since late May.

The 33-year-old slugger made it through a live batting practice session on Thursday without any issues and is creeping closer to a return. He has been shelved since May 30 due to a Grade 1 hamstring strain.