Seemingly, the Dodgers’ utility man, Enrique, aka Kike Hernandez’s persisting fitness issue, has no plan of leaving him. The problem that started chasing him in 2021 is still haunting him even ahead of the 2024 regular season. Hernandez recently mapped his route back to the Dodgers and is currently molding himself to give himself the best shape possible. But as he recently came off a major surgery, speculation regarding his fitness continues to swirl around. Will he be able to make a robust return in the regular season, defying his physical challenges?
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With the last two seasons being injury-laden for the 32-year-old utility player, it “makes you think a million things at a time” regarding the future of the player.
The seemingly casual slip wasn’t casual
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Back in 2021, Kike slipped in the outfield, which was thought as a simple tightness of the hip. However, in the next year’s spring, with a persisting discomfort in the running, Hernandez opted for an MRI that revealed the root cause of his pain, displaying a series of psoas muscles overlaying his vertebral column, along with his upper and lower abdomen.
Identifying the issue, Hernandez went through a procedure of draining blood from his spine to address a hematoma, besides receiving a PRP shot. The process not only cost him a significant amount of the 2022 season but also let him encounter his career-worst OPS of .629.
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Despite clean scans before the 2023 season, Hernández persisted with discomfort in the affected area, leading to continued struggles at the plate. Though traded back to Los Angeles midseason, his production only saw a modest improvement.
In the 2023 season, Hernandez once again addressed the issue, pushing him to undergo double hernia surgery performed by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia. However, as he comes clean from the surgery, fans are expecting a robust return in the regular season with the Dodgers.
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Hernandez’s journey with the Dodgers is about to kick-start
Hernandez inked a one-year deal for $4 million with the Dodgers this week and is expected to be on the field on March 20 and 21, according to The Athletic. While in a similar context, the utility player opened up about his thoughts after signing the deal on Monday.
While addressing the problem, Hernandez remarked, “Both sides on my adductors, my abs were off the pelvis,” indicating the severity of the issue. “When you’re playing in pain, you’re not having that much fun, and especially when you’re in pain (and) they tell you that you’re fine, that there’s nothing wrong, it makes you doubt yourself and makes you think a million things at a time,” remarked Hernandez, when asked about his crucial surgery.
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However, given his determination, one can expect a fully-fledged season coming from the utility man as he is about to step into the field with refined enthusiasm.
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