The Los Angeles Dodgers, although in a strong position this year, didn’t have it all so easy. They were constantly plagued by players reaching the IL. Multiple pitchers made it there: Clayton Kershaw, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Gavin Stone. Plus, it seemed like Teoscar Hernandez would end up there too after he took a blow to his left foot. But thankfully, even though things weren’t looking too bright, the reports say otherwise.

Hernandez dodged a bullet—his scans show no fracture. A total ‘phew’ moment for the team because Hernandez has been instrumental in their trailblazing performance. It was a huge sigh of relief for the Dodgers, who had their hearts in their mouths when the 31-year-old was hit by a pitch during his at-bat on Friday.

Teoscar Hernandez dodged a grave injury, taking him out of the season

The Los Angeles Dodgers are getting the ‘limelight’ like no other, given that Shohei Ohtani is smashing it every time he steps on the diamond. It won’t be far-fetched to say he could probably reach 60-60 at this point! However, it’s a team game, and for the Dodgers, Hernandez has been a key player this season. He has put up some solid numbers too. He has a .266 batting average, 28 home runs, and 87 RBIs. Not to mention his All-Star selection and winning the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby, a first for any Dodger.

On Saturday, Hernandez took the time to speak to the media about his injury and even hinted at a quick return to the lineup. “Definitely, I’m feeling better today. Not able to walk normally, but it’s way better than last night. MRI and CT scans were negative. Thank God, there was nothing broken. Just take the day off  today. Take some activity tomorrow and see how it’s going. Maybe, Monday or Tuesday, I’ll get back on the field,” said Teoscar Hernandez.

However, Hernandez admitted that he, too, thought the injury was worse and that the pain just didn’t subside even after a few hours. Hernandez said, “I thought it was worse, honestly, when I got hit. After a couple of hours, I felt like the pain wasn’t going away. Today I was pretty sore, but thank God it’s nothing to worry about.”

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For a team that is eyeing a playoff run and a World Series win, Hernandez being in the lineup could make all the difference. As they say, every drop makes the ocean, and Hernandez’s return might be just what the Dodgers need to make their big dreams come true.

Dodgers manager breathes easy as scans clear Teoscar Hernandez of fracture!

Dave Roberts could finally breathe a sigh of relief now that the scans of Teoscar Hernandez’s left foot showed no fracture. When Hernandez got hit on his left foot in the first inning of the game with the Cleveland Guardians, it looked like the team was about to lose yet another key player for the season. Roberts talked to the media, and he was more than relieved at the scan results. Roberts, with a sigh, said, “Very relieved. Obviously, if it was a fracture, that was probably going to be the end of the season for him, and it would have been a huge loss.”

Even though they have stars like Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman in the lineup, Hernandez has been a key part of the batting order. And his absence was almost immediately felt on Friday. Chris Taylor subbed in for him in left field, and in the eighth inning, with the bases loaded, he came up to bat instead of Hernandez. He smacked a line drive, but it went straight to shortstop Brayan Rocchio, who turned a double play and shut down the Dodgers’ scoring opportunity. 

Now the hope is that Teoscar Hernandez will be ready to make his comeback for the upcoming three-game series against the Chicago Cubs. It starts on Monday at Dodger Stadium. They’ll need his bat to help propel them further into the playoffs.