{"id":106133,"date":"2025-08-21T00:14:37","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T04:14:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=106133"},"modified":"2025-08-21T00:14:37","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T04:14:37","slug":"dodgers-roster-reinforcements-enrique-hernandez-hyeseong-kim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/08\/21\/dodgers-roster-reinforcements-enrique-hernandez-hyeseong-kim\/","title":{"rendered":"Multiple Reinforcements Coming to the Dodgers Roster"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Los Angeles Dodgers just might be getting healthy for the stretch run. Super-utility man <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hernaen02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-20_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kik\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez<\/a> is slated to be the designated hitter tonight with Triple-A Oklahoma City, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. Dodgers Manager <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/managers\/roberda07.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dave Roberts<\/a> said that it &#8220;seems feasible&#8221; that Hern\u00e1ndez gets activated from the injured list to return as early as next week.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_95345\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-95345\" style=\"width: 525px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-95345\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/USATSI_23578105-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/USATSI_23578105-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/USATSI_23578105-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/USATSI_23578105-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/USATSI_23578105-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/USATSI_23578105-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/USATSI_23578105-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/USATSI_23578105-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-95345\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jun 18, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Kik\u00e9 Hernandez (8) runs to third on an RBI in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Dodgers Vet Kik\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez to Return Soon<\/h2>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Kike&#8217; Hernandez is scheduled to start rehab assignment with OKC tonight as DH. Getting him back to <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Dodgers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Dodgers<\/a> some time next week is &#8220;feasible,&#8221; per Dave Roberts.<br \/>\nHyeseong Kim will also join OKC this week<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/billplunkettocr\/status\/1958319981373878298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 21, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>The Swiss Army Knife<\/h3>\n<p>Hern\u00e1ndez, who has played all positions on the diamond except catcher, has been out since late May with<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/07\/07\/dodgers-place-kike-hernandez-injured-list-recall-james-outman\/\" target=\"_self\"> an elbow injury<\/a>. This has impaired his ability to swing the bat. He is currently hitting .195 with eight homers. The bespectacled super-utilityman was seen taking infield grounders at third base, and his return will give the Dodgers increased flexibility on the roster and a clutch bat off the bench. If the Dodgers manage to clinch a postseason berth this year, Hern\u00e1ndez loves it when the calendar hits October. He is <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/02\/09\/dodgers-signs-super-utilityman-enrique-hernandez\/\" target=\"_self\">hitting above<\/a> a .340 batting average for his career once the leaves turn.<\/p>\n<h3>More Good News?<\/h3>\n<p>In addition to Hern\u00e1ndez, infielder <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kimhy02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-20_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hyeseong Kim<\/a> is also starting a rehab assignment at Oklahoma City. Kim will hopefully shore up a defense that has proven to be lackluster at times. The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/01\/03\/hyeseong-kim-dodgers\/\" target=\"_self\">rookie<\/a> also flirted with a .400 batting average before a sore shoulder torpedoed his fast start and shut him down for a while. Kim is still batting over .300, and his speed has gotten him a dozen stolen bases in limited playing time. This could be the spark that an inconsistent offense needs.<\/p>\n<h3>In the Pen<\/h3>\n<p>Meanwhile, a few high-leverage right-handed relievers will fill out the bullpen by the end of August. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/scottta01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-20_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tanner Scott<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/y\/yateski01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-20_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kirby Yates<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kopecmi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-08-20_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Michael Kopech<\/a> are on different stages of a rehab assignment and are set to return. The Dodgers are going to need all hands on deck in order to win the National League West this year.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Los Angeles Dodgers just might be getting healthy for the stretch run. Super-utility man Kik\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez is slated to be the designated hitter tonight with Triple-A Oklahoma City, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said that it &#8220;seems feasible&#8221; that Hern\u00e1ndez gets activated from the injured list [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5226,"featured_media":67301,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33,926,1071,35],"tags":[257,1083,28818,2845,771,5660],"class_list":["post-106133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dodgers","category-milb","category-mlb","category-news","tag-dave-roberts","tag-enrique-hernandez","tag-hyeseong-kim","tag-kirby-yates","tag-michael-kopech","tag-tanner-scott"],"modified_by":"Lewis Masella, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5226"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106133"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106133\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":106178,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106133\/revisions\/106178"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}