Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shares his thoughts on Kike Hernandez's 'superpower'

Los Angeles Dodgers utility player Kike Hernandez is with the team for their Spring Training games after re-singing with them earlier this month to end his free agency.

Following the World Series win in October last year, the 33-year-old became a free agent. While he was linked with a return to the Dodgers since the offseason began, the door to his return seemed to be closing with Spring Training approaching. However, the Dodgers brought him back after agreeing to a one-year, $6.5 million contract.

Hernandez was a part of the lineup for the Cactus League game against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. Following his outing, manager Dave Roberts was asked if Kike was going to be a starter or continue in his utility role. Roberts replied (5:00 onwards):

"I think his superpower is that he doesn't have to play every single day. He can play three times a week and still give us quality bats, play anywhere on the diamond. Certainly, if something happens, things can change. But his role on the roster is to just kind of hang around the diamond and be ready to play and it's my job to make sure he stays current."

Kike Hernandez drove in a run in his only plate appearance in the Dodgers' 6-5 win over the Angels. While the veteran slugger can play in multiple infield positions, he started in center field on Friday.

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Kike Hernandez addresses improvement he needs to make in Spring Training

Kike Hernandez has emerged as a fan favorite in LA, partly due to his ability to pull clutch plays for his team. He had a similar play in last year's postseason when his solo home run off Yu Darvish put the Dodgers ahead against the Padres in an intense NLDS Game 5.

Following Friday's outing, Hernandez admitted that his swing wasn't quite there yet but hopes to fine-tune things by Opening Day.

"I'll say get my timing right," Hernandez said on the thing he wants to improve in spring. "I played center field tonight, but it didn't really matter because I didn't get any balls hit to me. It's been my A swings. It's kind of not there yet, but at least I'm not really chasing that much."

With the Dodgers adding Hyeseong Kim (second baseman) and Michael Conforto (outfielder), Kike Hernandez might get reduced playing time in the upcoming season unless there's an injury to one of the starting position players. They also extended NLCS MVP Tommy Edman in the offseason, who can also play the utility role for the team.