When Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman declined to re-sign (then) 28-year-old utility infielder/outfielder Kiké Hernández following the Dodgers 2020 World Series championship season after his six seasons with the team, it caused quite a stir among the Dodgers faithful.

Granted, the San Juan, Puerto Rico native and sixth-round draft pick in 2009 by the Houston Astros out of American Military Academy in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico slashed a less-than-stellar .230/.270/.410/.680 that season and left LA with a (then) combined .240 batting average, 68 home runs, and 213 RBI, but again, he was an enormous fan-favorite.

Lo and behold, Friedman reacquired the popular utilityman on July 25, 2023 from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for 25-year-old right-hander Nick Robertson and 27-year-old minor league right-hander Justin Hagenman, making Kiké fans very happy.

In the 54 games in which he appeared upon his return to the Dodgers, Hernández slashed a respectable .262/.308/.423/.731, with five home runs and 30 RBI in his 168 at-bats. However, at season’s end, Friedman (again) did not offer Kiké a free agent contract extension; perhaps because the (now) 32-year-old utilityman underwent double-hernia surgery on October 24. That being said, Hernández recently told reporters that he expects to resume baseball activities in three to four weeks. But will it be in a Dodgers uniform?

Fast-forward to Wednesday, November 8, 2023.

It was reported on Wednesday that the Dodgers were showing interest in signing 31-year-old free agent outfielder Teoscar Hernández. In his (thus far) eight MLB seasons – one and a half with the Houston Astros, five and a half with the Toronto Blue Jays, and one with the Seattle Mariners – the Cotui, Dominican Republic native, one-time All-Star, and two-time Silver Slugger owns a career slash line of .261/.316/.486/.802, with 158 home runs and 473 RBI.

In other words, there very well may be two Hernándezes on the Dodgers 2024 Opening Day rosters.

Stay tuned…

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