Kiké Hernandez Didn't Think He'd Be Able to Return to Dodgers This Year

The Los Angeles Dodgers activated utility man Kiké Hernández from the injured list this week after another long stint on the IL.

Hernández had been dealing with a significant tear in his oblique, which sidelined him for nine weeks. The issue was so bad that the veteran didn't think he would be able to return at all this season.

“It was a Grade 3, full tear,” Hernández said. “You kind of get scared, and you think the worst.”

Season-ending surgery went through the mind of the veteran, with Hernández admitting he had a panic attack around the injury. Hernández has been playing on one-year deals in each of the last three seasons, so his baseball future could have been in question.

“I think I experienced my first panic attack or anxiety attack as I was driving, sitting in traffic,” Hernández said. “I had to call my wife, and I could barely talk. I was like, ‘Look, this is what happened. I don’t know what’s going on with my body. Maybe I’m too old.’”

The 2026 season has been a tough year for Hernández, as the veteran started the season on the injured list after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery.

Hernández played through the injury last year despite Dodgers team doctor Neal ElAttrache saying it was the "worst" of its kind. Eventually, he was activated from the 60-day injured list in late May, only to suffer the oblique injury during batting practice before his first game.

The veteran didn't say anything to the Dodgers staff and instead chose to play through the problem. This turned out to be a mistake, and Hernández was removed from his second game due to the oblique problem.

Hernández admitted that he was "embarrassed" by suffering the injury after being activated, so he decided to keep it to himself. But somehow, the veteran went 4-for-4 with a home run while playing through the injury.

Thankfully, Hernández didn't need surgery to recover, and his body responded well to the treatment. Hernández came back sooner than anyone anticipated, and he's now ready to help the Dodgers go after a three-peat.

“It took a lot of really hard work, discipline,” Hernández said. “I took rehab to kind of another level. I did a hyperbaric chamber every single day I was out. Sauna, cold tub, all that stuff. Trying to do everything that I can control to accelerate the process.”

The Dodgers will now look to keep Hernández healthy in the best way they can, as he's a needed piece for the postseason. Hernández has been as clutch as anyone in the organization over the years, as the utility man tends to play better when the lights shine brightest.

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