Kike Hernandez Injury Forces Dodgers To Recall Alex Freeland
The kike hernandez injury hit the Dodgers again yesterday, with the utilityman suffering a significant tear of his left oblique after just returning from the injured list on Monday. Manager Dave Roberts said Hernández will miss more time, and another extended absence is inevitable.
Hernández Back On The IL
Hernández had only just rejoined the active roster after spending the first couple months of the regular season finishing rehab from elbow surgery shortly after the World Series. The Dodgers had opened that spot by designating Santiago Espinal for assignment on Monday, a move that now puts them back in a scramble after only a brief return.
Roberts did not give a timeline, but he did say the injury was a “significant tear.” That leaves the club without a versatile bench piece who had started the past two games at third base while Max Muncy dealt with right wrist soreness.
Alex Freeland Returns
Alex Freeland will be recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take Hernández’s place on the active roster. Roberts indicated that Freeland will get the majority of the second base playing time now that he is back up, which gives the Dodgers a direct replacement for a spot that had been in flux.
Freeland’s move comes with Tommy Edman still out for the season after ankle surgery, although he began a rehab assignment at Oklahoma City last night. That keeps the Dodgers’ infield depth under pressure even before you factor in Hernández’s latest setback.
Hernández had at least given the Dodgers production before the injury. He hit an RBI double in his first at-bat of the season, then added a two-run homer yesterday to finish 4-for-4 with three extra-base hits on the year.
Dodgers Infield Depth Shifts
The roster change also narrows the Dodgers’ choices at second base, where Hyeseong Kim has cooled off this month and is batting.217 with a.273 OBP and only two extra-base hits in 20 MLB games. With Hernández out, Freeland now gets the clearest path to regular work.
The Dodgers re-signed Hernández to a $4.5 million free agent contract at the beginning of Spring Training, expecting a utility role after his elbow recovery. Instead, the club is back where it started: short on depth and waiting on another injury to heal.
