Kike Hernandez’s Promising Triple-A Rehab Debut Shows He Can Fix Dodgers’ Weakness
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Los Angeles Dodgers do-it-all player Kike Hernandez was able to do something that the 2026 Dodgers have not been able to do consistently — hit the baseball.
On Tuesday, Hernandez made his 2026 baseball season debut with the Oklahoma City Comets in Triple-A.
He went 1-for-3 with a double in his first taste of baseball since the 2025 World Series vs. the Toronto Blue Jays.
Hernandez is only weeks away from coming back if his recovery from offseason elbow surgery is completed as expected. His performance on Tuesday shows that he is indeed close, though it will be measured by how he handles recovery after consecutive days of play.
Hernandez is not the only player who is rehabilitating with the Comets. He is joining Brusdar Graterol, the reliever who has not played in an MLB game since the 2024 World Series.
Additionally, Blake Snell is traveling with the team. The southpaw will make at least a start before joining the team later this month.
Kike Hernandez’s impressive recovery
Hernandez has done a great job of making sure that he is ready as soon as possible. He started the season on the 60-day injured list after his surgery, and he has continued to make steady progress from the start of spring until now.
“Feeling great, man. We’re really ahead of schedule, which is a good thing. Left elbow surgery, they put me on the 60-day (injured list), so I’ve still got to wait,” Hernandez said a few weeks ago.
“I am eligible to come off on the 24th (of May), but chances are I’m going to be active on the 25th if everything goes well, according to plan the rest of the way, rehab assignment. The 24th is a day game in Milwaukee, and I would rather play at home than the road.”
His recovery is impressive, especially given how complicated Tommy Edman’s journey has been. The switch-hitter is struggling with setbacks, something Hernandez has avoided for months.
Now, Hernandez is right near the finish line of getting back on the field, and his presence will be welcomed on the field if he has hitting days like Tuesday more often than he did in 2025.
