LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers reinstated infielder/outfielder Kiké Hernández from the injured list and designated infielder/outfielder Santiago Espinal for assignment.
Hernández, 34, missed the first 53 games of the season recovering from an elbow injury. He played in 12 rehab games with Triple-A Oklahoma City, batting .214 with two doubles and three RBI. He has played 920 games for the Dodgers, returning for his 10th season with the club after playing 92 games last season and clubbing 10 homers with 35 RBI. He appeared in all 17 playoff games, batting .250 with nine runs, one homer and seven RBI. On October 24, 2025, he became the franchise leader in postseason appearances with his 87th game and with 103 career postseason games, he ranks eighth all-time in Major League history. He is the fourth player of Puerto Rican descent with 100+ career postseason appearances, joining Jorge Posada (125), Bernie Williams (121) and Yadier Molina (104). He is in his 13th Major League season overall, having played with Houston (2014), Miami (2014), Los Angeles (2015-20, 2023-), Boston (2021-23), slashing .236/.305/.403 with 130 homers and 470 RBI in 1,275 career games.
Espinal, 31, batted .220 with three doubles, one homer and four RBI in 26 games for the Dodgers. He played 114 games with the Reds last season, batting .243 with 16 RBI while playing six different positions on the field. He was an All-Star in 2022 for the Toronto Blue Jays, playing in a career-best 135 games and hitting .267 with seven homers and 51 RBI. In seven Major League seasons in Toronto (2020-23), Cincinnati (2024-25) and Los Angeles (2026), he has played in 604 games with a .260 batting average and 21 homers while playing seven different positions. He was originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 10th round of the 2016 First Year Player Draft out of Miami Dade Community College.
