"Hernandez will not play in the tournament as he is recovering from elbow surgery, but joined the team in dyeing his hair blonde and will stay with the team throughout the tournament. Hernandez played through his injury for a majority of the 2025 season, and underwent surgery towards the beginning of the offseason."
"Hernandez would have brought a decent utility glove and serviceable bat to a team without some of its biggest stars, and could have played in any of several positions during the tournament. Other than pitcher, Hernandez played five different positions last season, and featured in 92 games for the World Series champions."
"On top of his on-field accomplishments, Hernandez is clearly a great presence to have in the locker room, and Team Puerto Rico will be glad just to have him around in the coming tournament."
Kike Hernandez, a Los Angeles Dodgers utility player, is leaving spring training to join Team Puerto Rico for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Although recovering from elbow surgery and unable to compete, Hernandez will remain with the team throughout the tournament, including participating in the team's hair-dyeing tradition. He played through injury during the 2025 season and is expected to miss the first couple months of the 2026 regular season. Puerto Rico faces Canada, Colombia, Cuba, and Panama in Pool A. Several All-Star players including Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, and Javier Baez are also unavailable due to insurance complications.
Read at Dodgers Nation
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]