It’s time for the annual tradition of fan favorite and postseason stalwart Kiké Hernández returning to the Dodgers. The veteran utility player says he’s back in Los Angeles for a fifth time, posting on Instagram on Thursday that he’s returning to the Dodgers for 2026.
From Hernández on Instagram: “What else did you expect?!!! 3 in a row has a nice ring to it! #WeBack”
Hernández’s deal with the Dodgers is for $4.5 million, the Dodgers announced on Thursday. Evan Phillips was placed on the 60-day injured list, opening a spot on the 40-man roster. Phillips, who just returned on his own one-year deal on Wednesday, is recovering from Tommy John surgery last June.
Hernández had an injury-plagued 2025 regular season, sidelined for seven weeks with left elbow inflammation in July and August. He hit .203/.255/.366 with 10 home run in 92 games, and per usual started at five different positions.
He got healthy by October and started all 17 postseason games, but even that period was affected by the injury. Through the first eight games of the postseason, Hernández was hitting .379/.455/.517 with four doubles. But after an ill-advised dive in left field in Game 3 of the NLCS, in which he landed on his left elbow, Hernández had just five hits in 35 at-bats (.143/.139/.229).
In November, Hernández had surgery on his left elbow that will prevent him from playing for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic in March, and could affect his readiness at the beginning of the regular season.
During Dodgers Fest on January 31 at Dodger Stadium, Miguel Rojas said he expected Hernández to return to Los Angeles.
“I’m in constant communication with Kiké. I feel like, all my mind, I have no doubt that he’s gonna be back,” Rojas said. “It has something to do with his injury and the stuff that he’s going through right now, he’s not going to be ready until maybe a couple of months into the season. I’m crossing my fingers and keeping the hope that we’re going to have Kiké, because we all know how important he is for the clubhouse, the organization, for the fans, for the city of LA. He deserves to be with us, too.”
During the World Series, Hernández broke Justin Turner’s record for most postseason games played in Dodgers history, now at 92 games for Hernández.
“This is not just any franchise, man. This is the LA Dodgers. They’ve been around for a long time, and they have a lot of history,” Hernández said in October. “And for a guy like me from Puerto Rico, kind of swam against the current my entire life, to be sitting in this position is pretty special.”
The Dodgers acquired Hernández from the Marlins at the 2014 winter meetings in the Dee Strange-Gordon trade, then acquired him from the Red Sox at the 2023 trade deadline. This is now the third straight offseason Hernández has returned to the Dodgers in free agency.
Including 2026, Hernández will have played for the Dodgers in 10 of his 13 major league seasons.