Teoscar Hernández provides big hit Dodgers needed after struggling offensively

Teoscar Hernández first felt something click with his swing last weekend.

Mired in a miserable months-long slump, Hernández finally squared up on a ball during a recent game against the Detroit Tigers. It was corralled near the warning track for an inning-ending fly out, but the way the bat struck the ball also struck a chord of familiarity.

Hernández had been searching for this feeling since straining his left hamstring near the end of May. After several maddening weeks, Hernández sensed he had found a breakthrough.

“It’s just the way my body was reacting; it was more under control. I was able to notice everything that I was doing,” Hernández said. “That was the swing that is leading to all the good results that I’ve been having lately.”

It’s hard to reach a better result than what Hernández and the Dodgers found Thursday night. The rebuilding St. Louis Cardinals were two outs away from sweeping the back-to-back champions. The Dodgers were clinging to life, with runners on first and second and one out.

Enter Hernández, who had reached base in all four of his prior at-bats Thursday night. He worked the count full off Cardinals closer Riley O’Brien before hammering a payoff sinker, which was left in the heart of the zone. The ball exited the bat at nearly 106 mph, searing into the gap in left-center before rolling to the wall.

Tommy Edman scored from second to tie the game. Mookie Betts followed from first to seal it. And there stood Hernández at second base, a combination of jubilation and relief, as the Dodgers walked off the Cardinals 3-2.

“It was huge to finally get that big hit,” said Edman, who racked up four hits in the leadoff spot with Shohei Ohtani held out of Thursday’s lineup. “We were kind of pressing a little bit in those first two games. Everybody was kind of trying to do too much in the big spots.

“Hopefully, that’ll spark us. Teo’s really had some good at-bats the last few days, and when he catches fire, he’s as good as anybody in the game. And he can be a huge game changer.”

TEOSCAR WITH THE GAME-WINNER. pic.twitter.com/uS2TiZH8fG

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 4, 2026

The Dodgers have been searching for a hit like that for far more than the last few games. Scoring runs have proven difficult for most of the second half of the season, especially in August when their 104 total runs ranked third-fewest in the league.

Their lackluster offense was the main contributor to a 26-27 record since July 1 and pivotal series losses to the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves, two teams the Dodgers are chasing in the National League playoff standings.

Hernández had become a microcosm of the Dodgers’ collective offensive woes. He entered Thursday’s game hitting a dismal .230 with a .640 OPS and 12 walks compared to 57 strikeouts. His lack of production had become so dire that manager Dave Roberts floated a potential platoon role last Sunday with rosters expanding.

However, Hernández homered in Sunday’s series finale against the Tigers — a two-run shot off Framber Valdez that marked Hernández’s first home run off an offspeed pitch since May 20. His quality at-bats have continued to improve since.

In his last four games, Hernández is 8-for-16 with two doubles, two walks and four RBIs. However, what is especially noteworthy about Hernández’s at-bats is how he’s spraying the ball to all fields — and how hard he’s doing so.

Hernández has put 13 balls in play over the last four games; 11 have registered exit velocities over 100 mph.

“Like I’ve always said, when I start hitting the ball hard to right field, center field, left field and use the whole field, that’s when I know my swing is on point, and everything is going to come behind that,” Hernández said.

Roberts agreed after Thursday’s game that he was seeing a different version of Hernández. He acknowledged the small sample size, but said whatever adjustments Hernández had made were sustainable.

“I think that he doesn’t have that leaky front hip versus righties,” Roberts explained. “He’s not cheating to a fastball. The swing decisions are way better. Those are things for me that you can bet on going forward.

“His at-bats were much better. Taking walks, swinging at the right pitches, hitting the ball hard. This is as good as I’ve seen him versus right since April.”

The Dodgers (83-57) have 22 games remaining in the regular season. Roberts will treat September as the final extended chance for his trusted group of veterans, many of whom have struggled at the plate the last month.

Hernández’s ability to regain his slugging from the right side — especially with Andy Pages out likely through the rest of the month with a fractured hand — will be critical as Roberts shapes his ideal postseason lineup. It would also go a long way in re-establishing the offense.

“As you get to the postseason and toward the end of the season, we got to start figuring out who we can play, who we can count on, who’s dependable,” Roberts said.