Dodgers Demote Infielder, Officially Bring Back Kiké Hernandez

The Los Angeles Dodgers have activated utility man Kiké Hernández off the injured list ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the Seattle Mariners.

In order to make room on the active roster, infielder Alex Freeland has been optioned to Triple-A.

Dodgers Activate Kiké Hernández

Hernández, 34, has had a trying 2026 season dealing with multiple injuries.

The utility man opened the year on the injured list after undergoing offseason elbow surgery. Dodgers team doctor Neal ElAttrache called the injury Hernández played through last year the "worst" of its kind.

Hernández was activated off the 60-day injured list in late May and was set to make a big impact in the lineup. However, during batting practice ahead of his season debut, he hurt his oblique.

Hernández decided not to say anything, playing in two games before the pain became unbearable. Ultimately, he let manager Dave Roberts know about the injury, and went right back on the injured list. Somehow, he went 4-for-4 with a home run while playing through the injury.

It was revealed that Hernández suffered a "significant" tear in his oblique and would be sidelined 8-12 weeks. However, Roberts has talked about his almost "miraculous" recovery, getting him back on the field in about nine weeks.

Hernández is expected to play all over the diamond, and will likely get consistent starts against left-handed pitching. Assuming the injuries are behind him, he should play a big role for LA down the stretch and into the postseason.

Dodgers Option Alex Freeland

As for the corresponding move, Freeland has completely fallen out of the Dodgers' consistent playing rotation over the last few weeks.

Since July 10, Freeland has taken just five at-bats. Since July 12, he's taken three. His last start came on July 7.

Tommy Edman has taken the majority of starts at second base since his return, pushing Freeland to the bench. When Edman isn't at second base, it's been Miguel Rojas.

Thus, the 24-year-old Freeland has been wasting away on the Dodgers bench rather than getting consistent playing time in Triple-A to help his development. Now, he'll do just that, where he'll join Hyeseong Kim on the Oklahoma City Comets roster.

Overall, across 72 games this season, Freeland is hitting .231 with three home runs, 19 RBIs and an OPS of .622. He'll continue to serve as organizational infield depth while looking to further develop his game in the minor leagues.

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