Kiké Hernández agreed to a one-year, $4.5 million deal with the Dodgers Thursday, with the popular utilityman taking to his Instagram account to announce his return.
“What else did you expect?!!! 3 in a row has a nice ring to it,” he wrote, accompanied by a picture of him at the parade celebration last year.
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Hernández repaired a torn extensor tender in his left elbow after the season, which will cause him to miss next month’s World Baseball Classic and the start of the 2026 season. In order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, right-hander Evan Phillips — whom the Dodgers signed to a one-year deal on Wednesday — was placed on the 60-day injured list as he continues to rehab from the Tommy John surgery he had last June.
The 34-year-old Hernández hit .203 with an on-base percentage of .255 and .366 slugging percentage in 256 regular season plate appearances, with 10 home runs in 92 games last season.
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His splits between regular season and the postseason, however, are significantly different. In 103 career playoff games, Hernández carries a .826 on-base plus slugging percentage, a .272 batting average and a .486 slugging percentage.
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During the 2025 World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, he played every game, mostly in left field. In Game 6, Hernández’s catch and throw to Miguel Rojas at second sealed the Dodgers’ 3-1 victory to force a Game 7.
During Dodgers Fest, Rojas spoke to reporters about the importance of Hernández’s presence in the Dodgers’ pursuit to become the first back-to-back-to-back champions since the New York Yankees in 2000. He compared his impact on the team to Scottie Pippen with the Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls.
In other moves, the team announced third baseman Max Muncy received a one-year contract extension that will pay him $7 million in 2027 and has a $10-million club option for 2028. Muncy, whose current deal was set to expire after the 2026 season, is the Dodgers’ longest-tenured player and enters his ninth season with the team. And Anthony Banda, who was designated for assignment last week by the Dodgers, was traded to the Minnesota Twins for international bonus pool money.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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