ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 13: Teoscar Hernández #37 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts in the dugout during a 6-5 Los Angeles Angels win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 13, 2025 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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The Los Angeles Dodgers have been relentless in their pursuit of star players for the last three years, but each new addition requires some change to the existing roster.
When the Dodgers brought in Shohei Ohtani, they had to cut ties with slugger JD Martinez to make room at the designated hitter spot. When they revamped their pitching staff with Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates last winter, they moved on from hurlers like Daniel Hudson and Ryan Brasier.
Los Angeles Dodgers Push Out Michael Siani After Adding Kyle Tucker
And now that they’ve officially added superstar slugger Kyle Tucker to the roster, they have pushed aside Michael Siani.
“The Dodgers announced this afternoon that outfielder Michael Siani has been designated for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster goes to Kyle Tucker, whose record-breaking four-year contract has now been formally announced by the club,” Steve Adams reported for MLB Trade Rumors. “Siani has bounced around the waiver circuit this offseason and now could find himself changing hands once again.”
And Siani won’t be the only member of the Dodgers roster who suffers some displacement with the addition of Tucker. The team has also decided that it will move last season’s right fielder Teoscar Hernandez to accommodate a new alignment around the new star.
“Dodgers’ Dave Roberts confirmed that Kyle Tucker will be playing in right field, moving Teoscar Hernandez to left field,” Dodgers broadcaster Kristen Watson reported on X, formerly Twitter. “He added that he will be batting in the ‘top third in the order’ maybe second or third, but said to not hold him to it just yet.”
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernandez Move Could Mark End Of Tenure
Defensively, that will put Hernandez in a position that he saw zero starts in last season. Across his 10-year big-league career, Hernandez has started more than twice as many games in right field as he has in left field. But his defense seemed to be one of the Dodgers’ very few weaknesses last season and right field could be easier for him to handle, while Tucker is seen as a strong overall defender.
Still, the move to right field could put Hernandez on his last legs with the Dodgers amid their relentless pursuit of championships. He saw his offense dip significantly in the 2025 campaign, and he slashed just .247/.284/.454 — his worst overall production in at least five years.
If Hernandez cannot demonstrate an ability to handle perhaps the easiest defensive position on the field and continues his downward offensive production, he may no longer hold onto an everyday spot on this stacked Dodgers team.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterchawaga/2026/01/21/dodgers-make-teoscar-hernandez-move-after-kyle-tucker-addition/
