Enrique Hernández’s 2025 season has gotten off to a less-than-ideal start for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Through his first 12 games, the utility player has recorded a slash line of just .103/.163/.410. A significant portion of his plate appearances have ended in strikeouts, with Hernández tallying 14 strikeouts across 39 at-bats, representing over a third of his trips to the plate.
Interestingly, despite the high strikeout rate, when Hernández has made contact, he has demonstrated power. He has already hit four home runs this season, which is a notable figure considering it’s a third of the 12 home runs he hit throughout the entire 2024 season.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Stomach Bug Leads To Rough Start For Hernandez
Reflecting on his early struggles, Hernández candidly told Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, “Not great. I guess it could be worse. I could have three singles instead of three homers.” His preparation for the season was also disrupted by a stomach bug that caused vomiting and prevented him from keeping solid food down, ultimately sidelining him for the Dodgers’ Opening Day lineup.
Hernández explained, “Coming into the season, I was feeling great, and then I started throwing up a lot, and I didn’t see pitching for a week.”
Adding to the team’s early-season health challenges, outfielder Mookie Betts also dealt with a similar illness, resulting in a significant weight loss of nearly 20 pounds. However, Betts demonstrated a remarkable recovery, hitting two go-ahead home runs and a walk-off three-run homer in his first game back.
Hernández, however, has found the recovery process more challenging. He acknowledged this by saying, “When I got back to playing, I got reminded that not everybody’s Mookie Betts. Not everybody can miss two weeks of playing and come back like nothing had happened.”
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Despite the frustrating start, the 33-year-old Hernández is maintaining a patient approach as he works through his recovery, stating, “Trying to be understanding with myself, kind of be patient and gentle with myself, because it’s not that easy. Not necessarily happy with all the swing and misses and the chase. That’s something that I didn’t do in spring training. So just trying to get back to being me and not trying to do too much.”
With a long season still ahead, Hernández has ample opportunity to turn things around in his ninth year with the Dodgers.