Kike Hernandez makes feelings clear about clutch vs steady play

Kike Hernandez and the Los Angeles Dodgers made it seven wins in seven after a 10-3 victory over National League rivals the Atlanta Braves on Saturday. The win also sealed a series win for the NL West leaders with a game to go.

Ahead of the game, Dodgers utility player Kike Hernandez shared his feelings on the kind of impact he wants to have for the defending World Series champions.

While Hernandez has batted just .188 this season, he has already coughed up five home runs in 24 games, compared to 12 in his entire campaign last year. He had several crucial hits for the Dodgers in their run to the World Series triumph last October and the two-time World Series champion made it clear that he believes in being clutch for the team in the postseason.

He said in a conversation with Carlos Baerga:

"The reputation a player can have, being clutch, someone you can count on in big moments. That’s what I have become. I wish I was more consistent in the regular season but I'm happy with my career.

"I’d rather be a player who sticks up for the team in the postseason than one who does it in 162 games and hides in the dugout in the playoffs.”

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Kike Hernadez reveals reason behind unique gear in pitching debut

In his nine-year Dodgers career, Kike Hernandez has played several positions for the NL West team but earlier this week, it was a first for the 33-year-old as he made his pitching debut at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night against the Miami Marlins.

He closed out the game after pitching a scoreless ninth inning as manager Dave Roberts decided to protect his bullpen. Hernandez was seen wearing a pitching helmet during his outing. He revealed the reason in an Instagram post.

"After 9 years as a Dodger, I finally made my Dodger Stadium pitching debut," Hernández wrote. "Honored to have done it on Women’s Night; had to wear the ⛑️ to remind everybody to use protection. #SafetyFirst"

Kike Hernandez has contributed with 13 RBIs this season and has come up with some clutch home runs at the start of the 2025 season. The Dodgers will hope he can continue influencing the game for the team as they aim to defend their crown.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash