Kiké Hernández has finally overcome the left elbow inflammation that sidelined him for nearly two months this summer. The Los Angeles Dodgers reactivated the utility man on Monday after placing him on the injured list on July 7.
Hernández revealed he had been playing through the elbow pain for a while before going on the IL.
"I played till, basically, I felt like I couldn't even hold the bat anymore," Hernández said. "And I mean, it was kind of dumb on my end. But I've always felt that if I feel like I could play, I'm not going to go on the IL. By the time we went in for the MRI, it was a little too late."
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The Dodgers initially worried that Hernández would be unavailable for the rest of the season. Los Angeles tried cortisone shots, non-invasive rehab procedures and rest but none seemed to work for Hernández.
Before sending him to the IL, Hernández was struggling to produce at the plate. Hernández explained how the injury was affecting his batting performance.
He said the pain affected his ability to quickly react and catch up to certain pitches.
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"I haven't been the most prolific hitter in the world, but I'm also not a sub-.100 hitter for a month," Hernández said. "It got very challenging. It got to the point where I felt like I couldn't catch up to the fastball. And then when I was making the right adjustments to be able to catch up to the fastball, I couldn't adjust to the breaking pitches."
The Dodgers reactivated Hernández ahead of their home series against the Cincinnati Reds. He started Tuesday's game at third base, going 2-for-3.
Hernández has been part of two World Series teams with the Dodgers and often comes alive at the plate in October.
He is the first of many position playesr Los Angeles is expecting back from the IL. Third baseman Max Muncy is reportedly on deck to return for the team's upcoming road trip. Hyeseong Kim could also return then, while Tommy Edman will return sometime next month.
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