Dodgers Get Bad News on Kiké Hernandez Injury After MRI

The Los Angeles Dodgers are placing utility man Kiké Hernández on the injured list just two days after he was activated off of it.

Hernández, who suffered a left oblique strain during batting practice on Monday ahead of his season debut, is back on the shelf for the foreseeable future in a devastating update for the team.

Manager Dave Roberts said Hernández's MRI results showed he suffered a "significant tear." The team currently has no timetable for his return.

Dave Roberts said Kiké Hernández’s MRI showed a “significant tear” in his left oblique. Did not have a timeline.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) May 27, 2026

Infielder Alex Freeland, who was sent down to Triple-A when Mookie Betts returned, is taking his spot on the active roster.

Kiké Hernandez Dealing With Brutal Injury Luck

Hernández opened the 2026 season on the injured list after undergoing offseason elbow surgery.

Hernández played through the injury for most of last season, one that Dr. Neal ElAttrache called the "worst" he's ever seen of its kind.

The fan favorite wanted to make sure he did everything he could to help the Dodgers win back-to-back World Series titles, and he did just that. This year, he needed to wait two months on the 60-day IL before returning, and suffered a new injury before even playing in his first game.

Hernández said he was "embarrassed" by the injury, which is why he didn't inform the team about it on Monday when it happened.

“I was pretty embarrassed about it,” Hernandez said. “I had to talk to you guys right after I hit [batting practice on Monday] and tell you guys I was pain-free at the time. I thought it was just a weird tightness. Never done an oblique before. So I didn’t really know what I was feeling."

On Tuesday, after he was already 4-for-4 across his first two games, the pain became too much for him to play through.

He went over and told manager Dave Roberts in the dugout before going down the tunnel in an emotional scene.

This is not good.

Kiké Hernández was removed from the game. Dave Roberts had a conversation with Kiké in the Dodgers dugout. Hernández then headed down the tunnel. Since returning, he’s gone 4-for-4 with two doubles.

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— Doug McKain (@DMAC_LA) May 27, 2026

“He understood how frustrated I was and he was trying to get me to keep my head up,” Hernández said of the conversation with Roberts. “Honestly, at that point, I was kind of not there, so I’m not necessarily sure everything that he said to me.”

Hernández is now expected to miss significant time, as oblique injuries aren't easy to come back from. A "significant tear" doesn't bode well for a quick return.

"I have no idea," Hernández said Tuesday of a potential return timeline. "Like I said, I've never done an oblique. Probably at the minimum a couple of weeks. I'm hoping that it's best-case scenario, maybe hopefully just a Grade 1 [strain] and at least 2-3 weeks and I'm back. But who knows."

He added: “I feel pretty defeated right now.”

Dodgers Bring Back Alex Freeland From Triple-A

As for the corresponding move, Freeland is returning to the big leagues after a couple weeks in Triple-A.

Freeland broke camp with the Dodgers on the big league roster and was the team's starting second baseman. He played in 33 games, hitting .235 with two home runs, eight RBIs and an OPS of .646.

When Betts returned, the Dodgers decided to option Freeland and keep Hyeseong Kim on the roster. However, according to a report from The Athletic, Freeland was already en route to Los Angeles on Tuesday night before the Hernández injury as the team appeared set to option Kim back to the minor leagues.

Now, both Kim and Freeland will be at the big league level as they'll likely split playing time at second base.

Across 11 games at Triple-A, Freeland hit .265 with four home runs, 16 RBIs and an OPS of .937.

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