Kiké Hernández didn’t need many words to explain what Edwin Díaz means when he’s right.
Ahead of NLDS Game 4 against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday, the Dodgers fan favorite opened up about his longtime connection with Díaz and the way the right-hander has steadied himself after a rough stretch. Hernández and Díaz were teammates on Team Puerto Rico in the 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classic, and Hernández also spent time around the team for the 2026 tournament while recovering from an elbow injury. Their history goes back even further than those shared rosters.
Díaz’s season was disrupted by injuries for most of the year, but he’s looked sharp since returning in mid-September. In seven appearances since coming off the IL, he has thrown seven shutout innings, giving up only two hits and one walk.
That form showed up again in Game 3. Díaz handled the ninth inning, allowing just one hit while protecting the Dodgers’ two-run lead and slamming the door on Atlanta.
“Huge, it’s amazing,” Hernández said of Díaz’s shutdown performance in Game 3. “I haven’t had that through my entire career, to play with too many Puerto Rican guys. There’s so few of us in the league that in 13 years, I’ve only played with a handful.
“I’ve known Sugar since before we got drafted. …I’ve been admiring his career very proudly from afar.
I’m very proud of what he’s gone through. When he’s on he’s as good of a closer as anyone in baseball and that’s what we’re seeing right now”
Hernández also did his part in Tuesday’s 3-1 win, putting the Dodgers in front with a two-run homer in the fourth inning off All-Star left-hander Chris Sale, who had thrown a complete game against Los Angeles the last time he faced them.
It’s been a quiet postseason for Hernández at the plate overall. His homer is his only hit in four at-bats, but he’ll have another chance to make an impact after earning a start at second base on Wednesday.
The 13-year veteran has long been one of October’s most dangerous hitters. He has 17 postseason home runs across 11 seasons in October, matching names like David Ortiz, Aaron Judge and Jim Thome. In 105 postseason games, he owns a .832 OPS.
The Dodgers can clinch the NLDS with a win on Wednesday and move on to the NLCS, where they would face either the San Diego Padres or Milwaukee Brewers. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. PT.
In Other News...
Braves May Have Exposed A Costly Dodgers NLDS Problem
Miguel Rojas exited Game 3 of the 2026 NLDS after fouling a pitch off himself in the eighth inning and feeling low back pain, a development the Dodgers confirmed on their official social media. The stopgap infielder had already appeared to be working through something earlier in the night, with his back first bothering him after he fielded a ground ball in the fifth inning.
For a Dodgers club trying to navigate October with as little disruption as possible, the timing is the real concern. If Rojas cannot continue in the series, Los Angeles may be forced to make a postseason roster change, a move that would test the teams infield depth at a point when every available defender matters even more. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Face A Miguel Rojas Problem In The NLDS
Miguel Rojas night ended early in the Dodgers National League Division Series game against the Braves after he fouled off a pitch and started showing signs of discomfort with a low back injury. Tommy Edman came on as a pinch hitter in his place, leaving Los Angeles to sort through an immediate issue at a spot where Rojas has helped steady things throughout the postseason run.
The bigger concern now is what this means for the rest of the series, because the Dodgers do not yet know how available Rojas will be moving forward. Any lingering limitation could force roster and lineup adjustments at a critical point, and for a team trying to keep its infield options intact in October, even a short-term absence would matter. [Read more 🡒]
Dave Roberts Made One Dodgers Gamble Look Brilliant In Game 3
Dave Roberts spent Game 3 pushing the right buttons, and the Dodgers benefited from nearly every one of them. He shuffled the batting order and got Kike Hernandez into a spot where he could make an impact, then watched Hernandez deliver a key two-run homer that helped set the tone. It was the kind of lineup tweak that can look minor before first pitch and inspired once the game starts bending your way.
Roberts also managed the night with a steady hand on the mound, letting Yoshinobu Yamamoto work seven innings before turning to Tanner Scott and Edwin Diaz to close the door. The sequencing mattered as much as the names themselves, giving Los Angeles a cleaner path through the late innings and underscoring how much this team can gain when its manager is willing to be aggressive at the right moments. [Read more 🡒]