All Kiké Hernández knew about Albuquerque — the home of the Triple-A Isotopes — was the city’s elevation. But the city knew him.
For years, the city’s baseball fans grew up watching the Dukes, the former longtime Dodgers affiliate. So when Hernández arrived with the Oklahoma City Comets to continue his rehab assignment on Tuesday, the opposing fans greeted him with a thunderous ovation.
The Dodgers’ recovering utilityman struggled to encapsulate his feelings about the reception.
“A little bit shocked. Slightly embarrassed, but good,” he told reporters, including Geoff Grammer of the Albuquerque Journal, before the Comets’ 8-2 loss on Wednesday.
The fans’ positivity offset the emotionally tough road back from left elbow surgery to fix a tear in Hernández’s tendon. Before this year, the utilityman, who agreed to a one-year, $4.5-million deal with the Dodgers in February, never missed spring training or opening day in his career.
Hernández, who is eligible to return from the 60-day injured list May 24, is 2 for 15 with a double in five games with the Comets.
“I knew it was going to be a long rehab,” he said. “And even though I’m ahead of schedule, it still feels like it’s forever.”
The 34-year-old now finds himself at a crossroads. Although he remains locked onto each pitch he can possibly watch from the Dodgers, he also wants to mentor the players in Oklahoma City.
The paternal instinct comes naturally for Hernández, who has taken the time off to enjoy his wife and his two children, including his son who was born in February.
“We’re not just baseball players,” he said. “So being able to help my wife out, and spend time with the baby and with my daughter, it’s been huge, and that’s kept my mind busy.”
At the end of the day, though, Hernández wants to be healthy, preferably in Los Angeles.
With the Dodgers last season, he hit .203, with 10 homers across 92 games — though the team values him more for what he can do in the postseason. His career numbers in the playoffs include a .272 batting average with a .486 slugging percentage and an .826 on-base plus slugging percentage.
“I just want to feel good,” he said. “Last year was miserable, you know? Not only performance wise, but I was just in a lot of pain every time I took the field. So I’m just happy that I’m pain free right now.”
