The Los Angeles Dodgers and Kiké Hernández are reuniting once again, as the veteran utility man has agreed to a one year, $4.5 million contract with the two time reigning World Series champions. The move was widely expected, as Hernández repeatedly expressed his desire to remain in Los Angeles while making offseason appearances during the Dodgers’ championship victory tour.
Hernández, 34, underwent offseason surgery on his left non throwing elbow and is not expected to be ready for Opening Day. This marks the fifth time the Dodgers have acquired Hernández via trade or free agency. Once healthy, he is expected to resume his familiar role as a multi positional option, with most of his starts coming against right handed pitching.
Offensively, Hernández endured a difficult 2025 regular season, posting a career worst .621 OPS across 256 plate appearances. Much of that decline was attributed to discomfort in his injured elbow. He finished the season batting .203 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs in 92 games while appearing in the outfield as well as at first, second, and third base. Despite those struggles, his value resurfaced in October, where his postseason production and defense once again proved impactful.
One of the defining moments of the Dodgers’ title run came in Game 6 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, when Hernández, playing left field, charged in to snag a liner off the bat of Andrés Giménez and, in one motion, fired to Miguel Rojas at second base to complete a game ending double play and force Game 7. It was the first time in 50 years that a potential World Series clincher ended on a double play with the tying run already on base, a moment that further cemented Hernández’s legacy in Los Angeles.
Hernández has now spent nine of his 12 major league seasons with the Dodgers and remains one of the most beloved figures of the franchise’s modern era. With his return secured, he’ll have another opportunity to add to a long list of memorable October moments. For his career, Hernández is a .236 hitter with 130 home runs and 470 RBIs.
