Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Enrique Hernandez (illness) could be available off the bench on Friday, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. He was unavailable for Thursday's contest and has been ruled out of starting on Friday, but manager Dave Roberts said his bench availability for Friday is to be determined. He already got off to a hot start in the Tokyo Series, launching a home run and driving in three runs in the Dodgers' March 18th victory over the Cubs. He figures to be a useful platoon player against left-handed pitchers but will only be fantasy-relevant in the deepest of leagues.

According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, infielder/outfielder Kike Hernandez is returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers on a one-year contract. The 33-year-old will likely return to a super-utility role for the 2025 campaign. Last summer, Hernandez posted a .229/.281/.373 slash line across 126 contests. He tallied 12 home runs with 16 doubles. He saw starts at first base, third base, shortstop, and the outfield. Under the hood, he generated a low .285 xwOBA but showed a strong eye at the plate with an above-average 19.6 percent strikeout. He also posted a solid 22.9 percent whiff rate. Fantasy managers should expect Hernandez to operate as the primary backup at several positions. He is only worth targeting in deeper NL-only formats as he is not expected to have a starting role on Opening Day.

Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Kike Hernandez is expected to remain in the starting lineup during the World Series according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Hernandez was given the starting nod in the series opener in center field. During October, the 33-year-old has been one of the best bats in the lineup as he has carried an impressive .306/.375/.528 slash line with two home runs, five RBI, and a 3:9 BB:K ratio. On Friday, Hernandez went 1-for-3 with a triple. DFS players should always consider adding Hernandez to their lineup given his hot stretch and the ample scoring opportunities he has batting in the heart of the lineup. On Saturday evening, he will face southpaw Carlos Rodon who has posted a 4.40 ERA and 1.12 WHIP during the postseason.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kike Hernandez went 1-for-3 with a solo shot in their Game 5 victory over the San Diego Padres. Hernandez broke the stalemate in the second frame by hitting a solo home run off Yu Darvish. This was the eventual game-winning run. Through the playoffs, the 33-year-old has gone 3-for-9 at the plate. Hernandez appeared in three games during the NLDS. DFS players should expect Hernandez to split time in center field through the remainder of the postseason with Chris Taylor and Tommy Edman and could be worth a look as a value option when he is in the starting nine.

Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Enrique Hernandez will get the start in center field and will bat seventh on Friday for the deciding Game 5 of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium against the division-rival San Diego Padres and right-hander Yu Darvish. Tommy Edman is making another start at shortstop in place of the injured Miguel Rojas (groin). It will be Hernandez's second straight start in the series after he played third base and went 2-for-4 with a run scored in the Game 4 victory. He also appeared in the Game 2 loss on Sunday and went 0-for-2 at the plate. Hernandez only has two hits (one triple) in 11 career at-bats against Darvish with an RBI, one walk and four strikeouts. In his extensive postseason career covering 208 plate appearances, the Puerto Rican native has hit a nice .276 (51-for-185) with 13 home runs, 29 RBI and 27 runs scored.

Free-agent infielder/outfielder Enrique Hernandez signed an undisclosed one-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday. The 32-year-old Puerto Rican utility man began the 2023 season with the Boston Red Sox before finishing the year in LA. In total, he hit .237/.289/.357 with 11 home runs, 23 doubles, 61 RBI, four stolen bases and 57 runs scored in 140 games played. He'll basically take the place of Manuel Margot, who was traded to the Minnesota Twins on Monday, as a reserve outfielder for the Dodgers in 2024. But Hernandez can also fill in where needed on the infield. Although he had double-hernia surgery last October, he's expected to be ready for Opening Day. Because Hernandez won't be an everyday player on a stacked Dodgers roster, he shouldn't attract much attention in mixed fantasy leagues this year.

Free-agent utility man Enrique Hernandez is drawing interest from the Los Angeles Angels, according to Ken Rosenthal. The veteran infielder had surgery to repair a double hernia back in October, so the market has been slow to show interest in him. He would fit in nicely with the Angels' lineup, as he can play all over the infield and can hit out of the top of the order. He hit .237/.289/.357 with 11 home runs, 61 RBI, and four stolen bases in 465 at-bats over 140 games between the Red Sox and the Dodgers last season. While he is coming off a down year, he still offers plenty of value to a big-league club due to his versatility.

Free-agent utility man Enrique Hernandez (hernia) underwent double-hernia surgery on Oct. 24 and is expected to resume baseball activities in three to four weeks. His condition helps explain why he wasn't the same both offensively and defensively for the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023. Hernandez's surgery was performed by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia. In 140 total games (86 with Boston), he hit .237/.289/.357 with 11 home runs, 23 doubles, 61 RBI, four stolen bases and 57 runs scored in 508 trips to the plate. The 32-year-old's surgery could make teams hesitant to bring him aboard on a free-agent deal this offseason, so the veteran infielder/outfielder might wait until the calendar flips to 2024 to find a new team.

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder/outfielder Enrique Hernandez is getting the nod in center field over James Outman on Wednesday in Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks and rookie right-hander Brandon Pfaadt. Hernandez will hit seventh in the batting order. It will be the 32-year-old veteran's first start of this postseason for the Blue as they look to stave off elimination in the best-of-five series. Hernandez did have four plate appearances in the first two games against Arizona, getting one hit and driving in one off the bench on Monday. In five at-bats against Pfaadt during the regular season, Hernandez had a double and a home run.

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder/outfielder Enrique Hernandez was right in the middle of the team's 9-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday, going 3-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, two RBI, two runs scored and a strikeout. Hernandez's home run was his first since Aug. 7, and he's now hitting .296 (24-for-81) with two homers, 10 doubles, 15 RBI and 11 runs scored in 25 games (21 starts) since being traded back to the Dodgers on July 26. The 32-year-old veteran utility man continues to play every day and has seen his fantasy value boosted with the move to a better lineup in LA. On the year as a whole, he's batting .238/.294/.357 with eight homers, 46 RBI, three stolen bases and 49 runs scored in 378 at-bats with the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox.

Los Angeles Dodgers utility player Enrique Hernandez is starting at second base and hitting sixth Wednesday afternoon against the Blue Jays and left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. The Dodgers brought the versatile Hernandez back in a trade with the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday and will immediately plug him into the starting lineup against a left-handed pitcher. The 31-year-old has been one of the worst hitters in baseball this season as he's hitting just .222 with six homers, three steals, and a .599 OPS in 86 games while his 60 wRC+ ranks 142nd of 143 qualified hitters. However, he provided the Dodgers with some pop and defensive versatility for parts of seven seasons, specializing in clobbering left-handed pitching.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are acquiring infielder/outfielder Enrique Hernandez from the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, according to sources. It's unclear what the Dodgers are sending Boston in return. Hernandez will return to the Dodgers after playing for the team from 2015-2020. He has spent the last two-plus seasons in Beantown, hitting .234/.308/.382 with 32 home runs, 136 RBI, four stolen bases and 170 runs scored. The 31-year-old veteran will give the Dodgers yet another utility player that can bounce around between the infield and outfield as they play the matchups. In 86 games this year for the Red Sox, Hernandez has hit .222 (66-for-297) with six homers, 11 doubles, 31 RBI, three steals and 38 runs in 323 plate appearances. He figures to lose some fantasy appeal on a more crowded roster in LA.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that outfielder/infielder Enrique Hernandez will play center field against left-handed pitchers, and his role is to be determined against right-handers. Against Tampa Bay Rays lefty Shane McClanahan on Monday, Hernandez is in center field and is batting sixth. Pablo Reyes is at shortstop and is hitting seventh, while Christian Arroyo is at the keystone and batting in the nine-hole. The 31-year-old Hernandez has struggled on defense at the 6 with 13 throwing errors, so it seems the Red Sox would rather move him back to the outfield at this point. With his everyday playing time now in question, Hernandez is losing what little fantasy value he had left. Through 189 at-bats in 2023, he's hitting just .233 with five home runs, 23 RBI and two stolen bases.

Boston Red Sox infielder/outfielder Enrique Hernandez (hamstring) is back at shortstop and is hitting sixth in the lineup on Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners and left-hander Marco Gonzales. Hernandez missed the previous three games with a strained left hamstring, but he'll be available to fantasy managers once again on Wednesday. The 31-year-old veteran's return pushes infielder Pablo Reyes to the keystone. Hernandez is hitting only .234 (33-for-141) on the year with seven doubles, three home runs, 14 RBI and 21 runs scored in 38 games. He's also hitting just .220 (9-for-41) with two doubles, one homer and four RBI in 48 trips to the plate against left-handed pitchers in 2023.

Boston Red Sox infielder/outfielder Enrique Hernandez (hamstring) is day-to-day with a left-hamstring injury that he suffered on Saturday when he grounded into a double play. Hernandez will start on the bench for the second day in a row on Monday due to his hamstring strain, so fantasy managers will need to put the 31-year-old utility man on their benches against the Seattle Mariners. If Kike cannot get back into action in a few days, he'll likely require a trip to the injured list. Seeing most of his time at the 6 so far in 2023, Hernandez is hitting just .234 (33-for-141) with seven doubles, three home runs, 14 RBI and 21 runs in 38 games. Pablo Reyes is starting at short on Monday and is hitting seventh against Seattle right-hander George Kirby.

Boston Red Sox infielder/outfielder Enrique Hernandez (ankle) is back in the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The 31-year-old has been battling an ankle issue that has sidelined him for a couple of days. Luckily, it appears he's over that and back at shortstop on Monday versus righty Jose Berrios. Hernandez is slashing .245/.318/.398 with three homers, 10 RBI this season. Fantasy managers who have Hernandez rostered can get him back in their lineups on Monday.

Boston Red Sox infielder/outfielder Enrique Hernandez (ankle) is not in the starting lineup on Sunday against the Cleveland Guardians. He's currently listed as day-to-day with an ankle injury that has kept him out of action for the last two games. Christian Arroyo is getting the nod at shortstop and is hitting sixth, while Enmanuel Valdez is at the keystone and batting ninth against Guardians left-hander Logan Allen. Hopefully, the 31-year-old Hernandez will be back for the series opener on Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays. He has been the team's primary shortstop with Yu Chang (hand) on the injured list, and he's hitting .245 (24-for-98) with six doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI in 27 games as we get set to close the month of April.

After getting hit in the wrist by a pitch on Sunday's Grapefruit League exhibition against the Braves, Boston Red Sox center fielder Enrique Hernandez (wrist) is expected to return to Monday's lineup. Hernandez was forced to leave Sunday's game but no further damage was found aside from the contusion in his wrist. The center fielder has been flailing in spring training as displayed by his .336 OPS. He's only made 25 plate appearances so far in spring, but his offensive gestures haven't shown much improvement from last year's .629 OPS. While he played in just 93 games last season due to a hip flexor injury, the Red Sox are hoping that he will contribute more from an offensive standpoint in 2023.

The Boston Red Sox have finished among the bottom five teams in baseball in stolen bases the past two seasons, and manager Alex Cora would like to change that. The 2023 makeover of Boston's lineup will put more of an emphasis on contact, getting on base and baserunning. Last year, infielder Trevor Story led the team with only 13 steals. Cora named Enrique Hernandez and Alex Verdugo as players he thinks can steal more bases in 2023. Adalberto Mondesi, who is expected to miss Opening Day as he recovers from a torn ACL in his knee, is an elite speedster when healthy. Hernandez was 0-for-2 on stolen base attempts in 2022 and has just 13 in his nine-year career, so fantasy managers probably shouldn't expect much. Verdugo has just 15 steals in six big-league campaigns.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora has sounded poised to make outfielder Enrique Hernandez the starting shortstop to begin the 2023 season with Trevor Story (elbow) injured. At the very minimum, Hernandez will enter this season as a starting middle infielder for Boston after spending most of last season in center field. But the 31-year-old has extensive major-league experience up the middle, playing 100 games at the 6 and 258 at the keystone. He'll gain a little more fantasy appeal with the positional versatility this year, but he still won't offer a ton with his bat as a middle-infield option. In his second year in Beantown in 2022, Hernandez hit just .222/.291/.338 with a .629 OPS, six home runs, 45 RBI and 48 runs scored in 93 games.