Jose Hernandez: The Unsung Hero of the 2024 Dodgers

Jose Hernandez wasn’t in the Dodgers organization to open the season, and he ended the year off their 40-man roster. Though he never pitched a game in the majors for Los Angeles, he did spend 34 days on the 40-man roster, which means he gets a review.

Hernandez came up through the Dodgers system, signed in 2016 out of the Dominican Republic, and made it to Double-A Tulsa in 2022. He was one of three players plucked from the Dodgers minors in the Rule 5 Draft that December — along with Ryan Noda to Oakland and Gus Varland to Milwaukee — with the Pirates selection.

Varland was ultimately returned to the Dodgers in May 2023, but Noda and Hernandez stuck all season in the majors with their new teams. Hernandez started this season with the Pirates, and was optioned to Indianapolis three times in the first two-plus months of the season.

Hernandez was designated for assignment by the Pirates on June 11, and traded to the Dodgers for cash two days later, sending the left-hander back to his original team.

Over the next five weeks, the Dodgers added five different relievers in the majors, two of them new to the 40-man roster, but Hernandez was toiling away at Camelback Ranch in Arizona, presumably getting reoriented to his new (old) organization.

Hernandez pitched three games in the Arizona Complex League surrounding the All-Star break, and on July 17 he was sent outright off the 40-man roster after clearing waivers, clearing space for Joe Kelly’s activation off the injured list.

Hernandez spent his final two months with Triple-A Oklahoma City, putting up a 4.50 ERA in 16 games, with 14 strikeouts and 10 walks in his 18 innings.

The pitcher Hernandez is one of two Jose Hernandezes in MLB history. The other, infielder José Hernández, played 15 years in the majors, including hitting .289/.370/.540 with a 139 OPS+ as a jack of all trades for the Dodgers in 2004.

2024 particulars

Age: 26

Stats: 3.38 ERA in 5⅓ IP with Pirates; 4.50 ERA, 18 IP, 14 BB, 10 BB in Triple-A Oklahoma City

Salary: $105,538 with Pirates ($755,000, pro-rated for his 26 days in the majors), plus whatever he made while in the minors

Game of the year

Hernandez retired all four batters he faced for Oklahoma City on September 19 in Salt Lake City, with two strikeouts, and earned the win in relief.

Roster status

Hernandez remains in the Dodgers organization, but isn’t on the 40-man roster. Presumably he’ll get a non-roster invitation to big league camp in spring training.