Kiké Hernández is a fan favorite utility man for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he recently revealed how he was almost designated for assignment last season.
Before his productive October play helped the Dodgers secure the eighth championship in franchise history, Hernández couldn’t quite figure out the reason for his regular season struggles.
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Hernández spoke on the Dodgers Territory podcast about his struggles last season and his eventual diagnosis with astigmatism in his right eye. He was then fitted for glasses to address this and improve upon his .191 batting average during the first half of 2024.
“Finding out about my right eye was pretty key,” Hernández said Monday. “Kinda saved my season, and who knows if it saved my career. There was a chance that I was a couple days away from getting DFA’d last year.”
With all the talent on the field last season, Hernández was arguably close to a trip to free agency if he kept underperforming. However, last year’s roster was also met with a few key injuries that was the perfect storm for a utility threat such as Hernández to still have a role.
The 33-year-old also spoke on not just the difficulty of playing baseball with unaddressed astigmatism, but how hard it is for anyone to play this sport at the highest level.
“Being able to do the hardest thing that there is in all of sports, which is hitting a baseball, when you can’t really see the spin of a ball is a pretty hard thing to do,” Hernández said. “But I am glad we have that resolved for now and I’m looking forward to a full season of being healthy, feeling strong, and being able to see.”
Hernández’s slash line i the second half of the season was a major step up. After starting to wear his new glasses the final series before the All-Star break, Hernández finished the regular season hitting .274/.307/.458 with an OPS of .766.
In the postseason, he was his always dominant self, hitting .294 with two home runs and an OPS of .808.
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Photo Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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