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Dodgers Utility Player Explains Turnaround in 2024 MLB Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Conor Liguori | Last updated Mar 25, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in 2024, mainly because of all the star power and thump in the starting lineup.

Players like Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, and Teoscar Hernández significantly contributed to one of MLB's best, if not the best, offenses.

But what about players like utility infielder Enrique Hernández, who shows up in the postseason year after year? Hernandez started 2024 cold at the plate, batting just .167 as the calendar flipped to July.

The 33-year-old from San Juan, Puerto Rico, finished the year with a .229 batting average but hit exceptionally well in August and September, hitting .308 with three home runs and nine RBIs during the regular season's final month.

What adjustment did Hernández make to turn his season around? He started wearing sports glasses.

Hernández recently appeared on an episode of Dodgers Territory and told the show's hosts, Alana Rizzo and Clint Pasillas, that he thought he could have been DFA'd before he started wearing glasses.

Last August, Hernández revealed that he was diagnosed with an astigmatism that affected the vision in his right eye.

“Finding out about my right eye was pretty key,” Hernández said on the episode of Dodgers Territory.

"And then, of course, working on some things I wasn’t doing great mechanically. Saved my season, and who knows if it saved my career. There was a chance I was a couple of days away from getting DFA’d last year…

"Being able to do the hardest thing that there is in all of sports, which is hitting a baseball when you can’t really see the spin of the ball, it’s a pretty hard thing to do, but I’m glad we have that resolved for now.”

"Kinda saved my season, and who knows if it saved my career. There was a chance that I was a couple days away from getting DFA'd last year."

Kiké Hernández shared with @AlannaRizzo and @RealFRG how some new glasses changed the game for him. pic.twitter.com/2lZUytkbkM
— Dodgers Territory (@LADTerritory) March 24, 2025

Hernández finished the 2025 MLB Tokyo Series 1-for-9 with two strikeouts but crushed a two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning of the Dodgers' 6-3 win over the Chicago Cubs last Wednesday.

It's safe to say Hernández will continue to wear the glasses moving forward.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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