Thursday, May 28, 2026

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2026

In the span of two days, the Los Angeles Dodgers lost both Kiké Hernández and Teoscar Hernández to injuries, but it is May. The Dodgers are still playing great.

Kiké Hernández missed almost the first two months of the 2026 season after undergoing major left elbow surgery. After the procedure, Dr. Neal ElAttrache commented that he didn’t know how Kiké played through it during the 2025 postseason. His recovery went better and faster than expected.

On Monday, Kiké Hernández returned to the active roster and played third base and again on Tuesday. In his four at-bats, he had four hits, including one home run. However, on Tuesday, after hitting a double, he felt discomfort in his right oblique. He suffered a significant tear.

The Dodgers don’t have a timetable for Kiké Hernández’s return. The fan favorite brought much-needed spark to a veteran Dodger lineup. Since the Dodgers DFAed Santiago Espinal to make room on the 26-man roster for Kiké Hernández, they promoted Alex Freeland. In Oklahoma City, he performed well offensively. On Wednesday, he had two hits while playing second base against the Colorado Rockies.

According to Dave Roberts, Freeland will have a long runway at second base. Hyeseong Kim began the season hot at the plate, but recently he has cooled off offensively due to a mechanical issue with his stance. Unlike Freeland, Kim can play outfield. On Wednesday, after Teoscar Hernández pulled his hamstring, Kim performed well in left field, making two fantastic plays.

Teoscar Hernández pulled a hamstring in the second inning during Wednesday’s game. It couldn’t have been worse timing for him. After a slow April when he had a .238 batting average with four homers, he has had a great May with a .325 batting average with three home runs. Since the Dodgers’ lineup is predominantly left-handed, he, along with Mookie Betts and Andy Pages, plays an important role.

After an off-year defensively, Teoscar Hernández has played solid defense in left field. During the offseason, he worked hard to get in better shape after a groin injury last May that derailed his 2025 season. This current injury can keep him out of the lineup for at least three weeks.  He shouldn’t rush back from this injury as he did last May.

To take Teoscar Hernández’s roster spot, the Dodgers are promoting Ryan Ward.  Ward made his major league debut in April when Freddie Freeman was attending his daughter’s birth and did well against the Rockies. This year, in Oklahoma City, he has a .254 batting average. He will get some playing time in left field.

Alex Call should get ample opportunity to play left field. He hits left-handed pitching well and has an excellent eye for the strike zone. He is an outstanding defensive outfielder.

The health of the Dodger roster is the biggest challenge for the team to three-peat.  They pride themselves on their organizational depth. Only a few major league organizations can survive two injuries to important players and field a highly competitive team, but the Dodgers can.