As if the looming August 1 non-waiver trade deadline isn’t enough to cause some sleepless nights for Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi, super utility Kiké Hernandez is adding another layer to their insomnia.

In his second consecutive rehab game with the team’s Advanced Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the 24-year-old San Juan, Puerto Rico native went 2 for 4, with a double and two runs scored, thus upping his average to .375 (3 for 8) in the two games.

So how does this affect Friedman and Zaidi, you ask? Well, it’s sort of painting them into a corner on what to do with Hernandez when his rehabilitation is completed, which could be as early as this Saturday.

Following Monday night’s game, Hernandez told reporters that after Tuesday’s game he would be moving on to Tulsa to join the Dodgers Double-A Drillers for two games and that, if all went well, he might rejoin the Dodgers as early as Saturday. And while this may be a bit presumptuous (with a little wishful thinking sprinkled in), should Kiké continue to play well on both sides of the ball with the Drillers, he may very well convince Friedman and Zaidi that he is a better option as a backup shortstop for rookie sensation Corey Seager than is Chris Taylor; this given the fact that Hernandez is also a proven legitimate backup outfielder as well.

After singling in his first rehab game with the Quakes on Monday night, Hernandez doubled off the wall on Tuesday night. He is 3 for 8 (.375) in his two rehab games with the Quakes.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

After his historic 3 for 5 / six-RBI night against the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 15 in which he missed hitting for the cycle by a step, Taylor has gone 3 for 17 (.176) since. Granted, the 25-year-old Virginia Beach, Virginia native has only appeared in six games since that career night (including twice as a late-innings pinch-hitter) and, like most, undoubtedly suffers from a lack of playing time, but is he really a better option than Hernandez? Keep in mind that Kiké finished the 2015 season with a remarkable slash-line of .307 / .346 / .490 in 76 games played and, but for a late-season hamstring injury, might have done better than that.

Although a decision regarding Hernandez – or Taylor for that matter – is not an immediate high priority right this second, it will become one as Hernandez nears his rehab deadline of 20 games, as set forth by the MLB / MLB Players Association Collective Bargaining Agreement. That rule (for lack of a better term) reads:

Any MLB player can be assigned to any minor league affiliate for the purpose of rehabbing an injury for a maximum of 20 days (non-pitchers) and 30 days (pitchers). The player will still continue to get his MLB salary while on his rehab assignment. The rehabilitation assignments do not count against the minor league affiliates roster or as an “optional assignment.”

What this means is that when Hernandez’s 20 rehab days are up are up on August 11 (he played two games with the Rookie League AZL Dodgers, which count), he must either be re-instated from the DL and returned to the Dodgers 25-man roster or be re-instated from the DL and immediately optioned back to the minors – most likely Triple-A Oklahoma City. If the Dodgers choose option one, Chris Taylor would most likely be the one who gets optioned back to OKC. If they choose option two, Taylor would most likely remain with the big club and then Kiké brought back up 20 days later when rosters expand on September 1.

Here again, Hernandez’s claim that he could rejoin the Dodgers as early as this coming Saturday when there is no real reason for the Dodgers to do so for another two weeks makes it a bit optimistic. That being said and should Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig return to the disabled list for yet another hamstring injury, as many believe he will, and should Hernandez continue his hot hitting during his rehab assignment, he indeed could be playing under the lights again at Dodger Stadium sooner rather than later.

Stay tuned…