Dodgers Vulnerable in NL West After Teoscar Hernández, Kiké Hernández News

The Los Angeles Dodgers aren't at full strength right now, to say the least.

May 23, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernandez (37) during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Things just got a little more interesting in the National League West.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorites in the division, of course. But the injuries continue to pile up for the two-time reigning World Series champions. Right now, the Dodgers have the second-best record in the National League at 36-20. The San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks are tied for second place in the National League West at 31-24. But things could get a little tighter in the short term.

Over the last few days, the Dodgers lost Teoscar Hernández to a hamstring strain and super utility man Kiké Hernández to a "significant tear" in his left oblique. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported that Hernández is dealing with the "significant tear."

The NL West Is A Little More Open Now

May 24, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernandez (37), center fielder Andy Pages (44) and right fielder Kyle Tucker (23) celebrates after beating the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

"Dave Roberts said Kiké Hernández’s MRI showed a 'significant tear' in his left oblique. Did not have a timeline," Ardaya wrote. "Kiké Hernández could miss around 6-8 weeks with the oblique, depending on when symptoms subside."

These two join a long list of injured Dodgers, including Blake Snell, Gavin Stone, Tommy Edman, Tyler Glasnow, and Evan Phillips, among others. The Dodgers have the most firepower in baseball, but even they can't just dominate if injuries like this keep popping up.

For the Dodgers, they're fortunate to have one of the best farm systems in the game. The Athletic's Keith Law dropped a new ranking on Thursday of the top 50 prospects in the game and Los Angeles led the way with six players popping up on his list. Still, these injuries are a setback that cracks open the door in the division a bit. The Diamondbacks are one of the hottest teams in baseball and have won five games in a row and nine of their last 10. The Padres have been a bit cold lately, but they have enough firepower to compete and an aggressive president of baseball operations in AJ Preller, who is always willing to make a deal.

With the trade deadline still a few months away, it would be a bit surprising to see the Dodgers make any game-changing deal right now to make up for all of the injuries they're dealing with. So, the club is likely just going to have to get through the adversity right now. The Dodgers are a bit vulnerable. Could the Diamondbacks or Padres catch them in the standings? It's a very real possibility.