Kiké Hernández described grinding through an at-bat against Chris Sale on October 7, 2026, as a Dodgers utility player.
Hernández said his plan was to raise Sale’s pitch count without chasing pitches or giving Sale the opportunity to induce a double play. “my mentality was to grind out in a bat,” Hernández said, adding, “not chase him around and not give into what he's trying to get me to do.”
Hernández noted that the Dodgers succeeded in running up Sale’s pitch count, saying, “we were able to, you know, run his pitch count up, which was huge.” He explained that he recognized where Sale’s changeup would begin and adjusted on the next pitch: “my eyes recognized it popped.”
From the bottom of the lineup, Hernández stated that his responsibility was to remain patient and turn the lineup over to Mookie Betts: “just be patient. Um, so that I can turn the lineup over to Mookie.” He also said he takes pride in repeatedly finding himself in October and helping the team in those moments, calling it “something I take a lot of pride in.”
Hernández acknowledged that he does not necessarily play all year or every day, saying, “it's my role is not to, you know, necessarily be in there all all year and or every day.” He said he understands his role and must stay ready for starts or pinch-hitting opportunities, with Dave Roberts deciding when to place Hernández in the lineup or use him as a pinch hitter.
Hernández added that postseason experience helps him manage the heartbeat, the night before games and drives to the ballpark. He said he was advancing to his 94th October game as a Dodger and expressed relief at discussing a positive contribution: “I was just glad that I'm talking here about something positive and not something negative.”