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Suddenly finding themselves awfully thin on middle infielders, the Los Angeles Dodgers have turned to an old friend for a solution. L.A. has reportedly reached a deal to acquire utility man Kiké Hernández from the Boston Red Sox, per Ken Rosenthal and Fabian Ardaya:
Dodgers are trading for Boston’s Kiké Hernández, sources tell me and @Ken_Rosenthal. The reunion is happening.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) July 25, 2023
In return, the Dodgers are sending a couple of Minor League relievers back to Boston:
The Boston Red Sox will receive right-handed reliever Nick Robertson -- who has thrown 10.1 big league innings this year -- and right-handed reliever Justin Hagenman (now at Triple-A) from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Kiké Hernandez deal, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 25, 2023
Hernandez became a mainstay and a fan favorite in the Dodgers lineup over six years with the team, posting a .737 OPS from 2015 to 2020 while appearing just about everywhere on the diamond. He signed a two-year, $14 million deal with Boston prior to the 2021 season, then reupped on a one-year deal this past winter.
A reunion with L.A. had been rumored in recent days, as Trevor Story’s impending return from elbow surgery has Boston facing a numbers crunch in the middle infield. Hernández was likely to find himself on the wrong side of that roster squeeze, given his dismal .222/.279/.320 slash line and laundry list of defensive miscues at shortstop — and the fact that his ability to play the outfield wasn’t of much value to a Boston team that already has Alex Verdugo, Masataka Yoshida and Jarren Duran.
With rookies Miguel Vargas and Michael Busch both struggling in their auditions at second base and shortstop Miguel Rojas slumping badly at the plate, the Dodgers are hoping that the 31-year-old can help plug holes across the infield. (He also can slide into center field and spell James Outman against left-handed pitching.) It remains to be seen whether there’s anything left in Hernández’s bat — and this will surely be just the beginning of the Dodgers’ deadline moves — but it’s a player Los Angeles knows well and knows how to get the most out of.
A seventh-round pick back in 2019, Robertson made his Major League debut earlier this season, compiling a 6.10 ERA across 10.1 innings (nine appearances). He’s pitched to a 2.54 mark in 27 appearances at Triple-A Oklahoma City. The 26-year-old Hagenman has yet to appear in the Majors but has put up a tidy 2.78 ERA in 25 appearances (five starts) in OKC.