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Kiké Hernández is back on the Dodgers’ active roster, and now we know just how rough his 2025 season really was. In a detailed piece by Fabian Ardaya at The New York Times, Hernández opened up about the injuries and physical issues he gutted through last year — a revealing look at the toll a full big-league season took on the veteran utility man before his latest stint on the shelf.

Hernández has always been one of those guys who plays through things quietly. That’s been his reputation going back to his first stint with the Dodgers from 2015 through 2020, through his time with the Red Sox and then back in Los Angeles. He’s never been the most physically imposing player, but his versatility and willingness to grind through pain have made him a staple on winning rosters. His 2025 campaign, though, clearly pushed that to the limit. The fact that he’s now willing to talk about it publicly tells you he’s in a different place physically — and probably mentally, too. There’s a difference between playing hurt and playing broken, and it sounds like Hernández was closer to the latter for stretches of last season.

For context, Hernández just completed a rehab assignment and was activated earlier this week, with Santiago Espinal designated for assignment to make room on the roster. That transaction alone signaled how much the Dodgers value what Hernández brings — they didn’t hesitate to clear a spot for him. And knowing now what he dealt with in 2025 makes his return feel even more significant. This isn’t just a guy coming back from a routine IL stint. This is a player who spent an entire season pushing through issues and finally got the chance to get right.

Hernández’s value to this club has never been purely about the stat line. He’s a legitimate option at second base, shortstop, third base, and all three outfield spots. He’s a trusted postseason performer — Dodgers fans don’t need to be reminded of his heroics against the Braves in the 2021 NLCS or his contributions to the 2024 World Series run. When he’s healthy, he’s one of the best bench weapons in baseball, and when the Dodgers need him to start for stretches, he’s shown he can handle that too.

The bigger picture here is straightforward: we need Hernández healthy for October, and everything between now and then is about getting him there. The fact that he’s being transparent about what last year cost him physically is encouraging. It suggests he and the training staff are on the same page about managing his workload this time around. I don’t expect him to be an everyday starter — that’s not his role — but having a fully healthy Kiké Hernández available off the bench and as a fill-in across the diamond is a legitimate roster advantage. This team is deep, and his return only makes it deeper.

Source(s): Fabian Ardaya (The New York Times) | First reported: May 26, 2026 2:52 AM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers