On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers carried out a trade with the Boston Red Sox that sent utility player Kiké Hernández back to the city where his career blossomed. Without any hesitation, Hernández was put into the lineup for Wednesday’s series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays. 

In his first game back in a Dodgers uniform, Hernández took the field at second base and hit 2-4 with a pair of singles in front of an overjoyed Los Angeles crowd. The energy spread throughout Dodger Stadium as he led mid-game dances with his team, and he was rained down with chants of “KIKÉ” from every deck. The heart and soul of the old Dodgers’ dugout was back where he belonged.

There is so much rich history that explains why Kiké coming home means more than being quick help with this year’s playoff push.

Back in 2014, the Dodgers made a trade with the Miami Marlins for a 22-year-old second baseman from San Juan Puerto Rico, and would go on to cherish him for another six amazing seasons in Los Angeles. 

In his time as a Dodger, Hernández became one of the most explosive utility players in all of baseball and it started back in 2015. After being called up from the AAA Oklahoma City Dodgers in April, Hernández went on to play 37 games as an infielder and 38 games in the outfield. His nightmare presence at the plate for left-handed pitchers also loomed early due to the fact he led all MLB hitters in batting average against lefties in 2015.

During the 2017 postseason, Hernández single-handedly made sure the Dodgers made their first World Series in nearly 30 years. In Game 5 of the 2017 NLCS, he went 3-4 with three home runs, including a grand slam in the third inning, and propelled Los Angeles to a 4-1 series win over the Chicago Cubs. The Dodgers may have not won the championship the following series, but the following season they got Hernández’s best year of baseball.

In 2018, Hernández played a career-high 145 games and hit a career-high 21 home runs. He also batted his best average during his time with the Dodgers with a .256. In his final two years with Los Angeles, Kiké was still a big-time pinch hitter, and during Game 7 of the 2020 NLCS, he pinch-hit in the bottom of the sixth inning to deliver the most electrifying home run of his career and tie the game.

Hernández’s leveling blast would lead to a game-winning go-ahead home run by Cody Bellinger in the next inning to complete a 3-1 series deficit comeback against the Atlanta Braves. The rest of the 2020 postseason for the Dodgers is history. 

Looking Ahead:

A player like Hernández is completely worth the minor-league arms when you look at how the Dodger’s hitting against left-handed pitching could improve. Hernández is currently batting .260 against lefties which is above the Dodgers’ average of .227. However, he too is going to have to improve throughout the remainder of the year.

"It hasn't been the best of years for me performance-wise, but I'm still confident," Hernández told ESPN, "I haven't lost confidence that I can still be the player that I was.” 

Hernández’s role will be paced much differently with the 2023 Dodgers than it was with the 2020 championship team. He will be looking to get back into his productive form while stepping up to any position that Dave Roberts needs him to play.

The deal for Hernández would not prove to be the only action for the Dodgers during this trade deadline countdown. On Wednesday, the Dodgers made a trade with the Cleveland Guardians to receive shortstop Amed Rosario in exchange for starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard and some cash. Hernández and Rosario may not be the big names that Dodgers fans were hoping to hear, especially with the need for a strong right arm still at play, but the Dodgers have now added some great experience to their infield along with depth anywhere else in Kiké.

The Dodgers may have given themselves more chess pieces to move around the board, but there is still anticipation they could be buyers with less than a week before the August 1st deadline. Starting pitchers Marcus Stroman of the Cubs and Lucas Giolito of the White Sox are amongst the biggest names that could still be dealt to Los Angeles.