Enrique Hernandez Sparks Dodgers' 5-3 Win Over Rockies
enrique hernandez was back in a Dodgers uniform Monday night, and he helped turn his first big-league game since Game 7 of the World Series into a 5-3 win over the Rockies. He doubled in a run in the bottom of the third inning at Dodger Stadium, then reached again before leaving for a pinch-hitter in the seventh.
Dodger Stadium Welcomes Hernández
The 48,778 in the ballpark greeted Hernández with loud cheers and Kiké chants when he came up to bat in the third. He answered with an RBI double down the left-field line that scored Hyeseong Kim and put his return on the scoreboard right away.
He came back as a 34-year-old utility player who had already missed spring training and opening day for the first time in his career. That absence followed a two-month stint on the injured list last year, seven injections in his left elbow, and surgery after the season.
Hernández’s Elbow Recovery
Before the game, Hernández said, "Every time I would get in my batting stance, I would feel like I had a blowtorch on, and it was kind of frustrating because there was not much we could do for it." He also recalled a FaceTime call with Andrew Friedman and Dr. Neal ElAttrache, saying, "I told him, ‘ElAttrache, tell him what you just said,’" and, "I did this for you, so you better bring me back."
That path ended with a one-year, $4.5-million deal in February and a roster spot that opened when the Dodgers designated Santiago Espinal for assignment. Hernández said he will play a mix of infield and a little bit of outfield, which gives the club flexibility while he works back into everyday game speed.
Rockies Rally Meets Dodgers Need
His second at-bat produced an infield single, then the Dodgers lifted him for a pinch-hitter as they began to rally in the seventh inning. The timing fit the night: Hernández contributed early, then stepped aside as the home team finished the 5-3 result.
The return also carried the weight of what he missed. Hernández said, "In a weird way, I would’ve rather missed the WBC and win a World Series than getting to fulfill a life dream of playing in Puerto Rico after losing a World Series," and added, "It was a fair trade." For the Dodgers, the immediate takeaway is simpler: he is back, he already drove in a run, and the roster now has another utility option for the stretch ahead.
