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As one of the few members of the LA Dodgers with a World Series ring, Kike Hernandez's presence on his club has been invaluable this MLB postseason. Someone who knows how important it is to have your teammates' back in the playoffs, that connection has expanded to their respective families as well.
Recently, Mariana Hernandez, Kike's wife, took to Instagram to show off an adorable moment. In the capture, her daughter Penelope is seen giving a rose to Ashton Barnes, son of Austin Barnes, a teammate of Hernandez on the Dodgers.
The flower exchange pulled at Mariana's heartstrings and prompted her to caption the images simply with "sweetest" while tagging Austin's wife, Nicole. Both Penelope and Ashton were born in 2021.
Both Kike Hernandez and his wife Mariana were born and raised in Puerto Rico. The winner of Miss Universe Puerto Rico in 2010, Mariana married Kike in 2018, and they announced the birth of Penelope in 2021. Among the guests at their wedding were Austin and Nicole Barnes among other LA Dodgers teammates.
"KIKE HERNANDEZ BORN TO PLAY IN OCTOBER. Anytime HR +1200" - Fanatics Sportsbook
After making his MLB debut for the 2014 Houston Astros, Hernandez found his way to the Dodgers the following season. By 2018, the utility man put up a 21-homer season and played an integral role in helping the Dodgers defeat the Tampa Bay Rays to win the 2020 World Series.
One of the few members of the Dodgers who were around for the 2020 run, Kike Hernandez's experience continues to prove invaluable as his team finds itself five wins away from another title.
Kike Hernandez has teammates' confidence as postseason continues
Now an even .300 hitter in the 2024 postseason, Hernandez's poise on the field and in the box has his teammates excited. As second baseman Gavin Lux recently told the Los Angeles Times about the Puerto Rican's play:
“Kike hitting a home run and making big plays is probably the least surprising thing of the night. In the bigger games, he’s always gonna show up. He’s got that look in his eyes that he’s gonna do something big, and this team feeds off of that.”
As the Dodgers push to book their ticket to the World Series on Sunday at home, watch out for Hernandez to play an underrated, but no less important role.
