PHOENIX — Kiké Hernández, the boisterous fan favorite utility man who succinctly summed up the fortitude of the 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers, is coming back.
The 33-year-old agreed to a one-year deal that returns him to the Los Angeles Dodgers, pending a physical, league sources told The Athletic on Sunday. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Hernández drew interest from other contenders for his defensive versatility and his knack for October heroics. Hernández’s solo blast off Yu Darvish opened the scoring in the Dodgers’ Game 5 victory against the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series, in a night capped off by his now-famous words describing the eventual champions: “We don’t give a f—.”
Walking through the open door pic.twitter.com/hsd4IOpva6
— Enrique Hernández (@kikehndez) February 9, 2025
The veteran appeared in 126 games for the Dodgers last season, producing just a .654 OPS in what has been a multi-year decline in production. But after being diagnosed with astigmatism in his right eye and being fitted for corrective specs at the All-Star break, he put up a .274 batting average the rest of the regular season and delivered another strong postseason contribution (.294/.357/.451 in 14 games).
For as much as Hernández embodied the club and was embraced by its fan base, his fit on the 2025 Dodgers was more complicated. The Dodgers continued to spend, dedicating nearly half a billion dollars in new money a year after their billion-dollar offseason and handling other business. That splurge included bringing back outfielder Teoscar Hernández on a three-year, $66 million deal. The Dodgers signed Hyeseong Kim, with the ability to move the former KBO star around the diamond. Adding Michael Conforto made for a crowded outfield. Chris Taylor is in the final year of his contract.
Until this spring, the Dodgers didn’t even have room on the 40-man roster, let alone have a way to work Kiké Hernández onto their depth chart. Yet, the possibility of a reunion always lingered.
“Everybody’s waiting for that news to pop up, to see Kiké back as a Dodger,” Teoscar Hernández said this month. “I want Kiké to be back.”
“Obviously, we’ll never close the door to Kiké,” general manager Brandon Gomes said.
Now, Kiké Hernández is walking back through it.
(Photo of Kiké Hernández: Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
