The Los Angeles Dodgers may have walked away with a narrow 5–4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night, but Teoscar Hernández didn’t escape unscathed — at least not in the court of public opinion.
In a chaotic third inning that saw momentum swing violently in favor of the Royals, Hernández misplayed what appeared to be a routine fly ball off the bat of Kyle Isbel, allowing a run to score and setting up a two-run blast by Bobby Witt Jr.. In a matter of minutes, the Dodgers’ 3–1 lead flipped into a 3–4 deficit, and fans went nuclear online.
“Teoscar Hernández is one of the most useless right fielders of all time,” one furious fan posted.
“He just jogged to it. Horrific outfielder.”
“Worst defensive season from a Dodger I’ve ever seen.”
The reactions were relentless and unforgiving, especially on Reddit and Twitter, with several fans calling for the veteran to be benched or even traded before the deadline.
The miscue occurred in the bottom of the third. Hernández, tracking the ball in right field, appeared to hesitate or lose his read in the stadium lights. The ball dropped in, allowing a runner to score and extending the inning. Two batters later, Witt Jr. made the Dodgers pay in full with a go-ahead home run.
While L.A. would ultimately rally back in the fifth — thanks to an RBI triple from Shohei Ohtani and a go-ahead single by Mookie Betts — the defensive lapse left a sour taste.
“It’s a W, but that was rough to watch,” one fan commented. “You can’t have that in October.”
There’s no denying Hernández’s offensive contributions this season. He’s been one of the Dodgers’ most consistent bats, with double-digit home runs and RBIs. But his defense continues to raise red flags, particularly in high-pressure moments.
As the Dodgers continue to battle for position atop the NL West, every run — and every defensive breakdown — matters. Hernández’s glove may now be under just as much scrutiny as his swing is admired.
As the Dodgers move forward, the team will likely continue to lean on Hernández’s bat. But if these defensive lapses continue, manager Dave Roberts may be forced to make tough decisions — and fans will be watching every play.