The Dodgers’ first move of deadline season is to bring back a familiar face: Kiké Hernández.
As reported by Ken Rosenthal on Tuesday, the Dodgers will be acquiring Hernández from the Red Sox, with whom he spent the last three seasons. They’ll send two right-handed pitching prospects—Nick Robertson, who debuted this year, and Justin Hagenman, who is in Triple-A—back to Boston.
It’s been a rough two years for Hernández, who is due to become a free agent this winter. After spending more than two months on the injured list with a hip flexor strain last season, he never quite seemed to find his way at the plate again. This year has been especially tough: His 61 OPS+, which grades him as 39 percent worse than the league-average hitter, would be his worst-ever mark for a season. In fact, it makes him one of the worst performers in baseball this year. He’s one of just three qualified hitters right now with an OPS+ below 75.
