MILWAUKEE — During the final game of their three-game series in Cleveland at the end of May, Kiké Hernandez raced home from third base to score on a wild pitch by Guardians left-hander Tim Herrin.
As Hernandez dove for home plate on the seventh-inning play, Herrin tried to reach for a throw from the catcher and tumbled onto Hernandez, landing on Hernandez’s left elbow.
Almost six weeks later, that play landed Hernandez on the injured list. He was moved there Monday with left elbow inflammation.
“At that point in time, he kept it to himself,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, adding that he didn’t know Hernandez was trying to play through the injury until two days ago. “He just wanted to be out there to compete, and it just continually got worse and really impacted his offense and the swing. And so just a couple days ago, it just really reached a head where it was pretty much intolerable.”
In 29 games after the play at the plate, Hernandez was 8 for 59 (.136).
After an MRI revealed the inflammation, Hernandez received a cortisone injection for the pain. Roberts said the expectation is the utility man will be ready to return “shortly after the All-Star break.”
While Hernandez went to the IL on Monday, two other injured players remain on the active roster, playing through their own injuries.
Utility man Tommy Edman is playing with a fractured small toe on his right foot (suffered when he was hit by a pitch) and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez suffered a contusion on his left foot when he fouled a ball off it during Saturday’s game. Neither were in the lineup Monday but Roberts said both could be used as pinch-hitters and “potentially” be back in the lineup on Wednesday.
Outfielder James Outman was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to replace Kiké Hernandez on the active roster.
In another roster move Monday, right-handed reliever Julian Fernandez was promoted from Triple-A and left-hander Justin Wrobleski was sent down.
“Definitely not performance,” Roberts said of Wrobleski’s demotion. “I think with Justin, it was more about the timing of the (All-Star) break, his not being available for the next couple days (after pitching 4⅔ innings on Saturday), to have some availability. Certainly the role as not seeing him as a short-burst reliever, keeping him built up, so those things. Tough conversation. It’s kind of part of having options, but he’s done a great job these last handful of outings.”
Fernandez, 29, returns to the major leagues for the first time since making six appearances with the Colorado Rockies in 2021. He had a 4.08 ERA in 24 appearances for OKC this season.
PITCHING PLANS
Roberts confirmed Monday that right-hander Tyler Glasnow will return from the IL and start Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Glasnow has been out with a shoulder injury since April 27.
Glasnow’s return to the rotation will push Dustin May’s next start back to Friday in San Francisco (the Dodgers are off Thursday). Setting up a rotation of May, Emmet Sheehan and Yoshinobu Yamamoto against the Giants.
If Yamamoto pitches on Sunday, he would be ineligible to pitch in the All-Star Game on Sunday. Roberts, who will manage the National League team, acknowledged that Yamamoto will “probably not” pitch in the All-Star Game.
Also in question is whether Shohei Ohtani will make another start before the All-Star break.
“We’ll see,” was all Roberts would say.
The most likely scenario is for Ohtani to pitch as an opener on Sunday with Sheehan following.
ALSO
Veteran reliever Luis Garcia has signed with the Washington Nationals, pending a physical. Garcia, 38, was designated for assignment by the Dodgers, cleared waivers and was released last week. Garcia had a 5.27 ERA in 28 appearances for the Dodgers. …
The Dodgers designated infielder C.J. Alexander for assignment in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for Fernandez. Alexander was claimed on waivers from the New York Yankees on Thursday and went 1 for 8 in two games for OKC.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (LHP Clayton Kershaw, 4-0, 3.43 ERA) at Brewers (RHP Jacob Misiorowski, 3-1, 3.20 ERA), Tuesday, 4:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM