Utilityman Kiké Hernandez announced that he had left elbow surgery and won’t be available to play in the World Baseball Classic next season.

Hernandez is currently an unsigned free agent. It’s unclear how the surgery will affect his availability for the 2026 season. He played for Team Puerto Rico in the 2017 and 2023 WBC.

The 34-year-old Hernandez has been part of the Dodgers’ World Series championship teams in 2020, 2024 and 2025. This past season, he had a poor season, batting just .203 during the regular season, in part because he played with an injured elbow most of the season.

The original injury occurred on a play at the plate against the Cleveland Guardians on May 28. Hernandez scored from third base on a wild pitch but pitcher Tim Herrin tumbled onto his left arm as he tried to

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