Kiké Hernández didn’t have much of a regular season, but the Dodgers may not care one bit once October starts rolling.
The 35-year-old utility man was limited to 41 games and 96 plate appearances after offseason elbow surgery and then a severe oblique strain sent him back to the IL after only two games back. His numbers were modest at best - .222/.271/.400 with 0.0 fWAR - and the season never really got going for him.
But Hernández has a different kind of resume, and it’s the one that matters most now. In 103 career postseason games, he has hit .272/.339/.486 with 16 home runs. Even last year’s playoff line, .250/.290/.359, fell short of his usual October standard, but the track record is still loud enough to trust.
That’s why his late-season finish stands out. Hernández’s final game of the year was quiet, an 0-for-2 outing. The game before that, though, he delivered the kind of swing that keeps his postseason reputation alive, launching a go-ahead homer in the top of the ninth on September 26 against the San Francisco Giants to break a 3-3 tie and decide the game.
KIKÉ CLUTCH. pic.twitter.com/55NQsZlMaz
- Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2026
That homer capped a three-game hitting streak in which Hernández bounced around the diamond, appearing at left field, center field, second base, and first base. It was a small sample, sure, but it looked a lot like October Kiké.
And the Dodgers need that version of him. The club heads into the postseason with plenty of damage control already on its plate.
Freddie Freeman has been dealing with a sore knee. Shohei Ohtani was forced onto the IL before returning on September 23 and looking like himself again at the plate.
Dalton Rushing’s elbow will limit him through October.
The bigger issue is that Los Angeles’s offense has not been firing consistently for most of the second half. That’s not ideal for any team, and it’s even tougher for a Dodgers group chasing a third straight World Series title and trying to become the first NL team to do it.
So every little edge matters. Hernández gives them one.
He’s been through this stage enough times to know how to handle it, and his history says he can still swing a postseason series. If he delivers again, nobody in Los Angeles will spend much time talking about how little he played in 2026.
In Other News...
Dodgers Could Be Headed For A Costly Tarik Skubal Fight
With a first-round bye in hand, the Dodgers suddenly have something rare in October: time. Dave Roberts can line up his rotation without the daily grind of a playoff series, and that likely means Tarik Skubal will be in the mix as a starter as the club tries to position itself for a deep run. Even with the postseason front and center, the bigger conversation may already be drifting toward what comes next, because Skubal is shaping up as one of the most coveted arms in the game.
Reports have linked the Dodgers and Mets as the two teams most likely to chase him in free agency, but the market could get murky fast. The negotiating window before the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires is short, labor talks are looming and a potential salary cap could alter the way teams approach a deal. Add Scott Boras representing Skubal, and what looks like a straightforward pursuit could turn into a costly fight the Dodgers have to be ready for. [Read more 🡒]
Former Diamondbacks Outfielder Just Opened An Interesting NL West Door
Alek Thomas spent the 2026 season in a Dodgers organization that kept him busy at Triple-A Oklahoma City, where the outfielder helped the Comets win both the Pacific Coast League title and the Triple-A National Championship. Thomas, who came over from the Arizona Diamondbacks in a midseason trade, had already been removed from Los Angeles 40-man roster in early September, leaving him in limbo as the minor league year wound down.
Now he has elected free agency, creating an interesting NL West wrinkle for a player who has already crossed paths with two division rivals. For the Dodgers, it leaves open the possibility of a familiar depth piece returning to a system that saw him contribute to a championship run, even as Thomas moves into a market where his next stop could just as easily be inside the division as outside it. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Will Read Into Dave Roberts Latest Elly De La Cruz Praise
Elly De La Cruz left his mark on the Dodgers in September 2026, and Dave Roberts made sure to acknowledge it. After De La Cruz powered Cincinnati against Los Angeles with multiple home runs, Roberts was straightforward about the Reds stars performance and his talent, the kind of manager acknowledgment that tends to travel fast when it comes after a rough night for a pitching staff.
For Dodgers fans, the bigger interest may be what gets read into Roberts latest praise. De La Cruz has already shown the sort of impact that commands attention, and any compliment from a rival manager is going to invite speculation about a future fit in Los Angeles. For now, though, there is no indication of any move, just a reminder that the Dodgers saw up close exactly why De La Cruz keeps coming up in conversations beyond Cincinnati. [Read more 🡒]