Latest News About Why Is Kike Hernandez Not Playing

Here’s the latest on Kiké Hernández and why he isn’t playing.

• The Dodgers placed Kiké Hernández on the injured list earlier in the season due to inflammation in his left elbow, and he has since undergone multiple procedures and rehab efforts without a clear return timeline. This has kept him out of the lineup for an extended stretch.[1][5]
• Updates in August 2025 indicated the elbow issue was more stubborn than initially expected, with non-surgical efforts and a series of rehab steps continuing as the team monitored his progress; no definitive return date was provided at that time.[5][1]
• Later reports suggested the team remained hopeful for a return within the season, but the injury recovery remained uncertain and could stretch into September, depending on how the elbow responded to treatment.[3][5]

Illustrative context: Hernandez has been a versatile asset for Los Angeles, but elbow inflammation and subsequent rehab have effectively sidelined him for a substantial portion of the year, with the team expressing cautious optimism about a comeback rather than a firm timetable.[1][5]

If you’d like, I can pull more up-to-date sources from multiple outlets or summarize the latest official Dodgers injury updates for you.