Teoscar Hernández knows exactly where the problem has been.
The Dodgers outfielder has long been one of the club’s most important bats, but this season has been a grind, especially when the matchup flips to a right-handed pitcher. Since coming off the injured list at the end of June, Hernández entered Tuesday with a .207/.255/.333 line, plus five doubles, four homers and 11 RBI in 145 plate appearances over 40 games.
There have been signs of life lately. Before going 0-for-4 against the Colorado Rockies on Monday, the 33-year-old had hits in five of his previous six games, then followed that up Tuesday with two extra-base hits. That stretch came while the Dodgers were seeing a run of left-handed pitchers, a look Hernández has traditionally handled better.
“It’s always better to face lefties, but at the same time, I want to play against more righties so I can get a better approach,” Hernández told Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA. “Better timing so I can be better at hitting and producing for the team.
But it’s good when you’re out there facing lefties. Not because my whole career, but I think it’s a little different from facing a righty.”
Hernández didn’t dress it up when asked how he plans to get sharper against right-handers. His answer was all about discipline and sticking to the game plan.
“Just to swing at good pitches and not follow the plan the pitcher has against me,” Hernández began. “Trust in the plan that I have for that day facing a righty: getting good pitches to hit, staying inside the ball so I can have a better chance to do damage. Just stay strong on that and follow the plan.”
The split has been real all year. Against right-handed pitching, Hernández is hitting .237/.293/.373 with 10 doubles, seven home runs and 30 RBI in 87 games. Against lefties, the numbers are much better: .273/.350/.443.
That gap has mattered enough that Hernández has been pinch-hit for in recent games. He understands why the issue is drawing attention, and he sounds locked in on fixing it.
Overall, this has been Hernández’s roughest season with the Dodgers. In 92 games, he’s batting .250/.312/.403 with 14 doubles, 11 home runs and 43 RBI. He also missed about a month earlier in the year because of a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, though otherwise he has stayed healthy.
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Tarik Skubals Next Deal May End One Tigers Dream
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For the Dodgers, that puts them in position to chase a pitcher with ace-level stuff and rare leverage, even as Skubal has left open the idea of a return to the Detroit Tigers. Still, unless Detroit can somehow come close to his asking price, that possibility looks remote, which means one of the games most intriguing pitching pursuits may come down to a bidding fight the Tigers were never built to win. [Read more 🡒]