The Los Angeles Dodgers and Enrique Hernandez, or as many fans know him Kiké Hernandez, agreed to a reunion on Monday. The news was announced after Los Angeles traded Manuel Margot, who was acquired in the Tyler Glasnow deal, to the Minnesota Twins. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts reacted to the Hernandez signing later on Monday, via Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

“I'm very excited, I know his teammates are excited, the organization, and probably the most excited people are the fans,” Roberts said. “He's certainly a fan favorite.”

Roberts also revealed that Hernandez will return to his utility role and should see time at shortstop, third base, and center field, via Nightengale as well.

Hernandez returns to Dodgers after long free agency

A report from Ken Rosenthal, Dennis Lin and more of The Athletic on Saturday stated that Hernandez's free agency was down to four teams. The Dodgers were not included within the list, however.

“Free-agent super-utility man Kiké Hernández is choosing between four teams, according to sources briefed on his discussions. The finalists, in no particular order, are the Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants,” the article stated.

Hernandez seemingly had a little fun with the reporting and decided to break the news of his Dodgers return himself on Monday.

“Sources say….. I’m back!!! 1st to break news @myself,” Hernandez wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

As Roberts mentioned, Hernandez is a fan-favorite. He always brings a lot of energy and enjoys every minute he gets to spend on a baseball field. But his ability on the diamond should not be overlooked.

Hernandez can help LA in 2024

The 32-year-old has played at the MLB level since 2014. Hernandez has spent time with the Houston Astros, Miami Marlins, Boston Red Sox, and of course the Dodgers.

Hernandez's first tenure with Los Angeles was in 2015-2020. He enjoyed some strong seasons but mostly served in a utility role for LA. Hernandez was never one to back down from the big moments, though, often coming through in the clutch.

He joined the Red Sox for the 2021 campaign but was later traded back to Los Angeles during the 2023 season. Hernandez recorded respectable results at the plate while flashing his defensive versatility in 2023 for LA.

Enrique Hernandez's ability to play multiple positions will be crucial in 2024. Dave Roberts will want to make sure his team is well-rested for the postseason, so having a player like Hernandez who can move around and fill in is important.

And Hernandez's clutch hitting, as mentioned earlier, will show itself late in games and hopefully in the playoffs for the Dodgers' sake.

This signing may go overlooked by some people around the MLB world, but the Dodgers and their fans understand how important Hernandez is to the team.