The Los Angeles Dodgers plan to activate Kiké Hernández from the injured list on Monday after he finishes a final rehab game Saturday night with Triple-A Oklahoma City, the club said. Hernández, who opened the 2026 season on the injured list after an offseason elbow injury, is expected to rejoin the Dodgers for their series against the Colorado Rockies and to resume his utility role.
Hernández has appeared in 11 rehab games heading into Saturday and hit.237 with three RBIs and a.668 OPS on the assignment. Those numbers follow a 2025 in which he played 93 games and slashed.203/.255/.366 with 10 home runs, 35 RBIs and a.621 OPS, figures that make his health the immediate storyline as much as his production.
He missed spring training and Opening Day for the first time in his career because of the elbow problem, a break from the routine Hernández said he did not expect. He told reporters he knew a long rehab was ahead and that missing those milestones made the process drag even when he was ahead of schedule; he also said last season had been miserable because he played through pain and that he is now pain free.
The timing of Hernández's return matters this week because the Dodgers' infield picture shifted with another injury. Manager Dave Roberts said Max Muncy will be down through the weekend and the team will reevaluate in Los Angeles on Monday; the Dodgers had already ruled Muncy out for the remainder of the series in Milwaukee. Hernández's planned activation Monday gives the team a veteran utility option at a moment when Muncy's availability is in doubt.
There is a gap between the uplift of being cleared to play and the production the Dodgers will need. On one hand, Hernández has reported feeling pain free after a prolonged recovery, which is significant after the elbow issue that cost him spring training and Opening Day. On the other, his 11-game rehab line — and his subpar numbers in 2025 — leave open questions about whether he can slide back into the roster and supply the offense or defensive versatility the club expects from its utility man.
For the organization, the immediate calculation is straightforward: activate Hernández on Monday, count on him in a flexible role, and revisit Muncy's status the same day. For Hernández, the next step is a return to live game duties in Los Angeles after a rehab that has included 11 games and a.237 average; for fans and managers it is the first real sign of how quickly he can convert being pain free into reliable on-field results.
When Hernández reported for his rehab assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma City he was chasing two things at once — health and rhythm — and he will rejoin the Dodgers this week with both still in question. If he can translate the freedom from pain he described into even modest offensive improvement, the club gets a seasoned utility glove and lineup depth at a time it sorely needs one; if not, the Dodgers will face a roster puzzle that might linger beyond Monday's activation.
