Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Kik\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez has been a productive defensive presence at any position he is called upon.<\/p>\n
Especially with some of the depth issues LA has battled through this season, Hern\u00e1ndez has been plugged in at first, second, and third base, as well as left and centerfield. Not to mention, Hern\u00e1ndez has made five appearances as a relief pitcher this season when the situation allows it.<\/p>\n
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Hern\u00e1ndez spoke to Dodgers Insider\u2019s Megan Garcia about a goal that he still has yet to achieve during his MLB career, and something that a player he used to mentor in Houston Astros infielder Mauricio Dubon achieved in 2023: the Utility Gold Glove award.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen [Dubon] won the Gold Glove, he actually sent me a text and said, \u2018Thank you for the help.\u2019 He said I played a big part in him being able to win the utility Gold Glove,\u201d Hern\u00e1ndez said. \u201cThat was a pretty cool moment for me. Even though a Gold Glove has been a goal and a dream of mine my entire life, to be able to have somebody say that I helped them get one, it\u2019s still pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hern\u00e1ndez had an unlikely catalyst that launched his career into the utility route, and that was Astros second baseman Jose Altuve.<\/p>\n
While Hern\u00e1ndez was still in Houston\u2019s farm system as a second baseman, he was close to breaking out in 2014, but there was quite a blockage in the form of an All-Star Altuve looking more and more like the future of the franchise in Texas.<\/p>\n
This forced Hern\u00e1ndez to get better at providing his services wherever he was needed, and led to his July 1st, 2014 debut. The 2014 season was a campaign where Hern\u00e1ndez played at shortstop, left field, and center field.<\/p>\n
To Hern\u00e1ndez, though, being the Swiss army knife for the Dodgers is more than just the role he has carved out for himself, but rather a part of his identity.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s kind of become part of who I am. I\u2019m just not getting used to playing in one spot, and I guess it keeps things interesting for me. But other than that, it\u2019s just another day of work.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Kik\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez speaks on one of his biggest goals he has yet to achieve in MLB.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":86549,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-86548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n