The Dodgers have sent right-hander Jonathan Hernández outright to Triple-A Oklahoma City, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week. He has the right to elect free agency but it’s not yet clear if he will exercise that right.
Hernández, 29, spent about six weeks on the Dodgers’ roster. In that time, he logged 17 2/3 innings over 12 appearances in a low-leverage role. He allowed 8.15 earned runs per nine. His 59.1% strand rate didn’t help him but his 18.1% strikeout rate, 14.5% walk rate and 39.3% ground ball rate were all worse than league average. His 6.40 FIP and 5.13 SIERA suggested he was better than his ERA but still not good. He is out of options and got nudged off the roster a few days ago. The other 29 clubs passed on the chance to grab him from the wire.
He’ll now have to decide whether to report to Oklahoma City or head to the open market. Players with at least three years of service time or a previous career outright have that right and Hernández qualifies on both counts. He would probably be limited to minor league offers, based on this year’s performance.
His stuff and track record are a bit more enticing than his recent stats. He has averaged around 97 miles per hour with both his four-seamer and sinker this year, while also featuring a slider and changeup. He had some good seasons for the Rangers. He missed 2021 while rehabbing Tommy John surgery but his 2020 and 2022 campaigns combined to produce 61 1/3 innings with a 2.93 ERA, 22.7% strikeout rate, 9.8% walk rate and 54.2% ground ball rate.
His results backed up from there, however. He had a 5.40 ERA in both 2023 and 2024. He signed a minor league deal with the Rays for 2025 but spent most of that year on the minor league injured list. As mentioned, this year’s results weren’t especially strong.
Photo courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images
