Dodgers Dugout: It’s time for Kiké Hernández to retire ... as a pitcher

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. If the Dodgers put Kiké Hernández on the injured list, does that count as another injured pitcher?

There are few Dodgers who have been more loved than Hernández. He plays almost every position and plays them well. He is the Dodgers’ version of Mr. October come the postseason. He plays catch with kids in the stands occasionally before games. He brings a fun-loving spirit to the team, something that was noticeably missing when he was playing elsewhere.

But it’s time for him to stop pitching.

The goofy looking helmet and the lobbed pitches were cute at first. But they have grown increasingly less cute as time has gone on (though he doesn’t wear the helmet every time now). It borders on disrespectful, especially when the Dodgers have a big lead. It’s more like “You can’t hit our real pitchers, so try this guy.” It’s Little League.

Sure, the Dodgers are playing within the rules, but that doesn’t make it more palatable. Yes, they want to save a bullpen arm, but they aren’t even doing that anymore. He came in June 14 against the Giants with an 11-0 lead and gave up five runs in two-thirds of an inning. He had to be relieved by Anthony Banda. He came in Sunday against the Nationals with a 13-3 lead, gave up four runs in one-third of an inning and had to be relieved by Alex Vesia. So, what is pitching him accomplishing exactly?

This really points to a bigger problem in baseball, if I can sound like an old guy for a moment. It’s sort of sad that any team with eight relief pitchers has to turn to a position player in order to preserve arms. Yes, the game is different. Pitchers are asked to throw as hard as they can on every pitch, and just about every pitcher, especially in relief, has a 95-mph-or-better fastball. In the late ‘70s, the Dodgers had a four- or five-man bullpen. In 1977, it was mainly Charlie Hough (can you imagine a knuckleballer being a closer today?), Elias Sosa, Mike Garman and Lance Rautzhan. The 1988 Dodgers had Jay Howell, Alejandro Peña, Tim Crews, Brian Holton and Jesse Orosco.

And this isn’t just limited to the Dodgers. Last season, 40 position players pitched in a game, some in multiple games. They pitched 66 1/3 innings and had a 7.08 ERA. In 2006, no position players pitched. In 2021, it happened 112 times. That’s ridiculous. Might as well bring in the stilts guy from the Savannah Bananas to pitch.

Of course, this is a byproduct of starters not able to go past five innings for the most part. This season, the six Dodger pitchers with the most starts are averaging 5.26 innings per start. In 1988, Orel Hershiser averaged 7.82 innings a start. The five top Dodger starters average almost seven innings a start. In 1981, Fernando Valenzuela averaged 7.69 innings per start. The four top Dodger starters averaged 6.77 innings per start. So, there’s a need for more relief pitchers today.

But you have eight and need to use a position player? Something has gone wrong when that happens. And can we please stop talking about how “we are preserving arms” when there are more pitching injuries now than any time in history?

Will this change one day? Not soon, but it could. It will take a team who is willing to develop starters who can go deep into games, and then win consistently doing that. The stolen base disappeared from the game until Maury Wills won an MVP award and would at times single-handedly win games for the Dodgers. Four-man rotations were around for years until the Dodgers switched to a five-man rotation and found much success.

There is something lost when you can’t cheer a Clayton Kershaw when he walks off the mound with two outs in the eighth inning, clinging to a 2-1 lead, and then watch one reliever come in and close it out. That’s how legends are made and how baseball elevates itself as a sport. That’s what kids talk about on the way home. The noise of that crowd when the pitcher comes out. It’s not the same when Kershaw stays in the dugout after five innings, and the 17th reliever the Dodgers have used this season, just called up that day, comes in to pitch. Followed by the 18th pitcher. The kid doesn’t go home in awe of that. Those little moments have been lost. Let’s hope one day in the future they come back.

In the meantime, don’t let Hernández pitch, since you don’t seem to be preserving anything by doing so.

Welcome back, Max Muncy

At the end of April, may baseball pundits across the land called for the Dodgers to get rid of Max Muncy and trade for Nolan Arenado of the Cardinals. Muncy was through. It was all over. He was toast. (If you are wondering what was said in this newsletter, dig out the April 28 edition, or, if, you have a digital subscription to The Times, you can read it here).

On April 28, Muncy was hitting .180/.295/.236 with five doubles, no homers, 14 walks and 34 strikeouts in 105 plate appearances.

On April 29, Muncy started wearing glasses during games. He homered. On Sunday, he hit two homers, a grand slam and a three-run homer.

Since April 29, he was hitting .268/.410/.514 with four doubles, two triples, 11 homers, 41 RBIs, 35 walks and 30 strikeouts in 183 plate appearances.

“You look at the last 30 days, I think he’s been our best hitter,” Dave Roberts told reporters after Sunday’s game. “We never wavered in our confidence, and we’ve shown that, and he’s proven us all right.”

Muncy has gone from being one of the worst hitters to someone who should get All-Star consideration. It’s a testament to him, it’s a testament to the Dodgers not giving up on a veteran and it’s a testament to optometrists everywhere.

Quiet on the set

While I’m channeling my inner “old man yells at cloud,” let’s talk a little bit about how loud Dodger Stadium is. It has gotten so loud, you can’t talk to people seated next to you between batters.

Recently, Times reporter Bill Shaikin took a decibel reader to Dodger Stadium. It topped out at 95 decibels, which is the sound a jackhammer makes if you are 50 feet away from it. It’s also the level at which sustained exposure may result in hearing loss. To be clear, it wasn’t always at 95; it was 95 during the pregame lineup introductions. And it gets louder than that when a home run or another exciting play happens.

But I get emails every week from readers, both young and old, complaining about how their ears are ringing a day after going to a Dodger game. Or that they can’t hear their seatmate. Shaikin took his decibel reader to Angel Stadium and San Diego’s Petco Park. Dodger Stadium was louder, especially in the hour before the game.

The players Shaikin talked to seem to love it.

“I think it’s great,” Clayton Kershaw said. “Even on the road, I’d rather have that than quiet. St. Louis was just really quiet. It almost felt like golf at times.

“The louder, the more fun, the better. The Dodgers have the best sound system out there. So why not use it?”

Mookie Betts: “It’s just all part of an entertainment show. There is no ‘too loud.’ ”

Read all about it here.

Odds and ends

Will Smith is leading the league in batting average (.328) and on-base percentage (.425) and is seventh in slugging (.544). Freddie Freeman is second, third and 11th in those categories. Shohei Ohtani is 10th, fifth and first...

In the May 19 newsletter, we discussed the tough 29 games the Dodgers were about to play, all against teams at the time in or on the cusp of a postseason spot and how we’d get a real sense of how good the Dodgers are after that. The games were: seven against the Mets; three with Cleveland; three against the Yankees; three against St. Louis; three against Arizona; seven against San Diego; three against San Francisco. The Dodgers went 17-12 in those games. So, they’re pretty good. Six of their next nine games are against the two worst teams in baseball, the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox. Now watch them go 2-4 against them. ...

Tyler Glasnow, on the IL since April 28, made his first rehab start Sunday, pitching two scoreless innings for triple-A Oklahoma City. He walked three and struck out one, throwing 48 pitches....

If you want to vote for the All-Star Game starters this season, you can do so online by clicking here....

On Friday, the Dodgers announced they have committed $1 million toward assistance for families of immigrants affected by the recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, as well as plans for further initiatives to be unveiled in the coming days. “What’s happening in Los Angeles has reverberated among thousands upon thousands of people, and we have heard the calls for us to take a leading role on behalf of those affected,” team president Stan Kasten said in a statement. “We believe that by committing resources and taking action, we will continue to support and uplift the communities of Greater Los Angeles.”

These names seem familiar

A look at how some prominent Dodgers from the last few seasons are doing with their new team (through Sunday). Click on the player name to be taken to the Baseball Reference page with all their stats.

Batters

Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .254/.320/.436, 297 plate appearances, 12 doubles, three triples, 10 homers, 38 RBIs, 110 OPS+

Michael Busch, Cubs: .271/.365/.504, 271 PA’s, 13 doubles, three triples, 12 homers, 44 RBIs, 148 OPS+

Jason Heyward, Padres, .176/.223/.271, 95 PA’s, two doubles, two homers, 12 RBIs, 38 OPS+, on the IL

Gavin Lux, Reds: .262/.352/.371, 261 PA’s, 14 doubles, one triple, three homers, 33 RBIs, 96 OPS+

Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .272/.351/.427, 266 PA’s, 10 doubles, seven triples, four homers, 21 RBIs, 120 OPS+

Joc Pederson, Rangers, .131/.269/.238, 146 PA’s, five doubles, one triple, two homers, six RBIs, 49 OPS+, on the IL

Keibert Ruiz, Nationals, .248/.279/.321, 258 PA’s, 12 doubles, two homers, 24 RBIs, 72 OPS+

Corey Seager, Rangers: .234/.322/.389, 199 PA’s, six doubles, seven homers, 16 RBIs, 106 OPS+

Chris Taylor, Angels: .200/.294/.400, 34 PA’s, three doubles, one homer, three RBIs, 93 OPS+, on the IL (numbers with Angels only)

Justin Turner, Cubs: .204/.296/.255, 115 PA’s, two doubles, one homer, 11 RBIs, 61 OPS+

Trea Turner, Phillies: .300/.357/.450, 342 PA’s, 16 doubles, two triples, nine homers, 35 RBIs, 121 OPS+

Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .243/.323/.438, 310 PA’s, 20 doubles, two triples, 10 homers, 34 RBIs, 113 OPS+

Alex Verdugo, Braves: .247/.305/.302, 197 PA’s, 10 doubles, 12 RBIs, 70 OPS+

Pitching

Ryan Brasier, Cubs: 0-0. 1.93 ERA, 9 1/3 IP, eight hits, three walks, eight K’s, 204 ERA+

Walker Buehler, Red Sox: 5-5, 5.95 ERA, 59 IP, 67 hits, 22 walks, 53 K’s, 70 ERA+

Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 5-8, 4.83 ERA, 78 1/3 IP, 64 hits, 31 walks, 93 K’s, 82 ERA+

Kenley Jansen, Angels: 1-2, 4.39 ERA, 15 saves, 26 2/3 IP, 26 hits, nine walks, 25 K’s, 95 ERA+

Craig Kimbrel, Rangers: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, one IP, one hit, one walk, one K, in the minors

Kenta Maeda, Cubs: 0-0, 7.88 ERA, 8 IP, nine hits, six walks, eight K’s, 52 ERA+, in the minors

Ryan Pepiot, Rays: 5-6, 3.04 ERA, 94 2/3 IP, 76 hits, 28 walks, 91 K’s, 131 ERA+

Max Scherzer, Blue Jays: 0-0, 6.00 ERA, three IP, three hits, 0 walks, one K, 77 ERA+, on the IL

Ryan Yarbrough, Yankees: 3-1, 3.90 ERA, 55 1/3 IP, 48 hits, 17 walks, 49 K’s, 103 ERA+

Is there a player you’d like to see listed here? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com and let me know.

Up next

Tuesday: Dodgers (TBD) at Colorado (Germán Márquez, 3-8, 6.11 ERA), 5:40 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Wednesday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 6-6, 2.76 ERA) at Colorado (Chase Dollander, 2-7, 6.19 ERA), 5:40 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Thursday: Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, 3-0, 3.31 ERA) at Colorado (*Austin Gomber, 0-1, 8.38 ERA), 12:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Dodgers commit $1 million for assistance for families of immigrants affected by ICE raids

Arellano: Welcome to the deportation resistance, Dodgers. What’s next?

Dave Roberts suspended one game by MLB for actions during Dodgers-Padres game

While Dodgers wait to speak, Jaime Jarrín, Kiké Hernández and others support immigrants

And finally

From 1992, rookie Eric Karros hits a walk-off home run against the Pirates. Watch and listen here.

Until next time...

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.