Dodgers: Why Kiké Hernández decided against opting out this season

Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Kiké Hernández had reasons to opt out, but decided against it.

As Major League Baseball attempts to play a shortened season amid a global pandemic, several players have decided against returning to action. Los Angeles Dodgers starter David Price being one of the marquee names who won’t be in uniform this season due to concerns about the novel coronavirus.

However, Price’s teammate, Kiké Hernández, doesn’t have the same luxury, so he is playing.

Talking to reporters via Zoom on Wednesday, Hernández said he would have considered opting out had he not been eligible to become a free agent after this season.

Players lose a year of service time if they decide against playing for precautionary reasons. Hernández is set to earn his sixth year of service, which qualifies him to hit the open market this offseason. Price, on the other hand, is signed for two more years beyond 2020, which puts him in a different situation in deciding whether to play or not.

Despite a pregnant wife, Kiké Hernández will play amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The 28-year-old, Hernández, recently announced on Instagram that his wife is due to give birth to a baby girl—a life-altering situation that forced him to weigh the benefits of returning to play with the potential risks of exposing himself to the novel coronavirus while his wife is pregnant.

Teammate AJ Pollock is also a new dad. His wife gave birth to a baby girl prematurely, which has kept the outfielder in the NICU for much of the coronavirus shutdown. While the exact reasons are unclear, it seems Pollock’s late arrival to camp could have something to do with him weighing the decision to play or not.

As for Kiké, now that he is playing, he hopes that he can find at-bats in a Dodger lineup that is even more stacked than it was last season. Mookie Betts has been added to the fold, and top prospect Gavin Lux is expected to take on an everyday role at second base. This could impact Hernández’ playing time, as he appeared in 85 games at second and 17 in right field last season.

That said, the designated hitter should create more opportunities as manager Dave Roberts gives regular players partial days off. And you never know when an injury could create an opening for Hernández.

The San Juan native is earning a pro-rated amount of his one-year, $5.9 million salary this season which represents his final contract before he escapes arbitration.