In his first big-league game back since Game 7 of the World Series, Kiké Hernández received playoff-level cheers at Dodger Stadium on Monday night, nearly drowning out his walk-up song as he stepped into the batters’ box against the Rockies in the bottom of the third inning. Some fans tipped their hats. Others joined the rising “Kiké!” chants.
After taking a ball, Hernández sent a four-seam fastball hopping down the left-field line for an RBI double that scored Hyeseong Kim. The crowd of 48,778 exploded.
It was shaping up to be a happy return, but it wasn’t until the seventh inning that the rest of the Dodgers lineup found its footing, taking advantage of some shaky relief pitching to rally for a 5-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
Hernández reached on an infield single in his second at-bat before being lifted for a pinch-hitter as the Dodgers began to rally in the seventh.
Hernández’s journey back to the big leagues has been an arduous one. Throughout his two-month stint last year on the injured list, he received seven injections in his elbow. None worked.
A procedure by Neal ElAttrache helped numb the pain, but it came roaring back when the 34-year-old dove for a ball in Game 3 of the NLCS against the Brewers.
“Every time I would get in my batting stance, I would feel like I had a blowtorch on, and it was kind of frustrating because there was not much we could do for it,” Hernández said before the game.
Hernández had made peace with his injury, given he was able to push through to a World Series win with little time to heal. After the season, Hernández had surgery on his left elbow, not knowing the damage or the timeline for return.
When he woke, still a little delirious, ElAttrache told him the news: “This was the worst injury I’ve ever seen of this kind, and I don’t know how you played,” Hernández recalled him saying.
Hernández then FaceTimed Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.
“I told him, ‘ElAttrache, tell him what you just said,’” Hernández said, “I was like, ‘I did this for you, so you better bring me back.’”
Hernández signed a one-year, $4.5-million deal with the Dodgers in February, and began the process of starting over, relearning how to play baseball with a newly reattached left elbow.
In the process, he missed playing for Team Puerto Rico in the island territory where the team had been located in the group stages of the World Baseball Classic, what he called a “childhood dream.” He also missed spring training and opening day for the first time in his career. Still, he wouldn’t change a thing if given the opportunity.
“In a weird way, I would’ve rather missed the WBC and win a World Series than getting to fulfill a life dream of playing in Puerto Rico after losing a World Series,” Hernández said. “It was a fair trade.”
Hernández will play a mix of infield and a little bit of outfield, giving his teammates a chance to rest. Utility man Santiago Espinal, whom the Dodgers claimed on waivers and broke out in spring training, was designated for assignment to make room for the recovered utility man on the roster.
“Santiago was great for me, great for the team, and I think we were very forthright, up front, about the expectation, so I think he respected that,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
While Hernández found contact on each of his at-bats, the rest of the team sputtered through six innings. Rockies starter Tanner Gordon commanded his slider, throwing the pitch for strikes 74% of the time.
Trailing 3-1, the Dodgers (34-20) found their momentum in the seventh after Rockies reliever Juan Mejia walked two, and Brennan Bernardino, who replaced Mejia, hit pinch-hitter Miguel Rojas with a pitch.
Shohei Ohtani plated a run on a force-out, Mookie Betts drove in Kim on a sacrifice fly to tie the score and Freddie Freeman bounced a double off the right-field wall to drive in Ohtani. Andy Pages hit a looping ball to right-center to score Freeman, and the Dodgers built a 5-3 advantage.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman rounds third base on his way home during the seventh inning of Monday’s game.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Starter Emmet Sheehan ran into trouble when he gave up a ground-rule double to Tyler Freeman to lead off the fourth inning. Troy Johnston smacked a line drive on the next pitch that glanced off Sheehan’s right arm for an infield single. After Roberts and a trainer checked on Sheehan, the right-hander stayed in and gave up a run on a single to right field by Willi Castro to tie the score. Ezequiel Tovar put the Rockies ahead with a sacrifice fly to left field.
Sheehan completed six innings, striking out eight and walking one.
Kyle Hurt, who eventually picked up the win, replaced him in the seventh and immediately surrendered a home run to Tovar on the second pitch of the at-bat to pad Colorado’s lead. The homer ended the bullpen’s franchise record of 38 consecutive scoreless innings set Sunday.
Will Klein pitched a scoreless eighth before Alex Vesia and Blake Treinen pitched the ninth, with Treinen picking up the save on a strikeout of Braxton Fulford.
Max Muncy Update
The Dodgers are hopeful for a Max Muncy return Wednesday after the swelling in his right wrist decreased. The 35-year-old was struck by a 95.5-mph slider on Friday. Initial X-rays were negative, and he hasn’t undergone more testing for the injury since. Roberts didn’t rule out a retroactive move to the injury list, though the team feels good about him avoiding it.
“He’s done better,” Roberts said before the game. “He’s a little less sore today. The swelling has dissipated.”