Dodgers Dugout: Our long national nightmare is over: Kiké Hernández is back

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. I usually try to avoid one topic newsletters unless the news is so big, or the topic so detailed, that it makes sense to limit it to one. So, I was going to wait until there was more news to write about, but then the emails started pouring into my inbox a little before the Super Bowl started. And everyone wanted to make sure they heard the news properly. That it wasn’t a hoax. Did Kiké Hernández really re-sign with the Dodgers?

Yes. Yes he did.

The news was announced by Hernández himself on social media and was confirmed by colleague Jack Harris. The deal is pending a physical.

Hernández has been one of the most clutch postseason players in Dodgers history. Last season he hit only .222 during the season, but .294 during the postseason with a triple, two homers and six RBIs. In his postseason career (which includes one year with Boston), he has hit .278 with 15 homers and 35 RBI’s, good for a .522 slugging percentage compared to a .405 slugging percentage in the regular season.

And, that .222 average last season could be deceiving. The Dodgers discovered an eye condition in August which caused Hernández to start wearing glasses. After that, he hit .287.

And there’s something about the guy that most (yes, I got a couple of emails unhappy with the signing, saying he’s washed up) fans love. He brings a joy to his routine that we imagined as kids we would have if we played in the majors. He interacts with fans before games. He seems to wring every ounce of athletic ability out of his body each game. And fans love that. It’s good to have him back.

Of course, this brings up a bigger question: How do they make room for him on the roster? The conventional wisdom all along was that the Dodgers wouldn’t sign Hernández until after spring training began so they could put some players on the 60-day IL and open up a spot for him on the 40-man roster (players on the 60-day IL don’t count as part of your 40-man roster). Pitchers and catchers have their first workout today, and the first full-squad workout is Saturday, so it’s fair to expect that they will put some people on the 60-day IL soon and then announce the Hernández signing.

But even creating a space for him leaves the Dodgers in an interesting position. They will probably carry only 13 position players and here’s the list of those most likely to be considered:

Two-way player
Shohei Ohtani

Catchers
Austin Barnes
Will Smith

Infielders
Mookie Betts
Freddie Freeman
Kiké Hernández
Hyeseong Kim
Max Muncy
Miguel Rojas

Outfielders
Michael Conforto
Tommy Edman
Teoscar Hernández
James Outman
Andy Pages
Chris Taylor

That’s 15 players and doesn’t include Dalton Rushing, who is listed as a catcher but played more games at left field in triple-A last season while putting up solid offensive numbers (.273/.396/.511) and seems likely to get some playing time in the majors this season.

So who goes to the minors from that list? Outman and Pages? Outman and Kim? Do they trade someone? Is there concern Freeman’s ankle might not be 100% by opening day and this gives them extra insurance? We’ll find out the answer in the upcoming weeks.

In case you missed it

How will Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts look? 4 things to watch at Dodgers spring training

Dodgers bring back former GM Farhan Zaidi in a special advisor role

He’s back: Fan favorite Kiké Hernández agrees to one-year deal with Dodgers

Dave Roberts and Rich Aurilia bonded over wine as teammates. Now it’s a business for them

Shaikin: Are Dodgers ruining baseball? ‘There are some owners that have concerns’

A cautious Rob Manfred says MLB’s ‘values on diversity remain unchanged’

Interpreter who stole millions from Shohei Ohtani gets nearly five years in prison

And finally

Kiké Hernández hits three homers in Game 5 of the 2017 NLCS. Watch and listen here.