Dodgers trade Howie Kendrick to Philadelphia Phillies.

Howie Kendrick

Howie Kendrick was the Dodgers’ primary left fielder in 2016. (Keith Birmingham/Staff photographer)

Howie Kendrick was an unsung hero for much of 2016, calling left field his primary position in a season where Andre Ethier, Trayce Thompson and Scott Van Slyke missed most of the year with injuries.

Now, Kendrick is gone. The Dodgers traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies for outfielder/first baseman Darin Ruf and minor league infielder Darnell Sweeney on Friday.

Kendrick, 33, batted a career-low .255 in 146 games for the Dodgers, who also played him at second base, first base and third base at times. But he saw fewer plate appearances per game in 2016 compared to any of his 11 major league seasons. Kendrick was reportedly so upset about his diminished playing time that he requested a trade.

Ruf, 30, has done most of his damage against left-handed pitchers, posting a .299/.379/.542 career slashline over parts of five major league seasons. He’s appeared in 139 games (92 starts) at first base, one game at third base, 76 games (64 starts) at left field and 29 games (27 starts) at right field.

Sweeney, 25, advanced to the Triple-A level in the Dodgers’ organization before he was traded to Philadelphia for Chase Utley in 2015. He spent all of this year with the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate, batting .233.

Since Sweeney wasn’t on the Phillies’ 40-man roster, the Dodgers still carry 37 men on theirs. The Dodgers also gained some financial wiggle room: Philadelphia will pick up the final year of Kendrick’s two-year contract, which pays him $10 million next season.

Corey Seager, Kenta Maeda, Dave Roberts among finalists for BBWAA awards.

Corey Seager Dave Roberts

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and shortstop Corey Seager are up for BBWAA awards next week. (John McCoy/Staff photographer)


Corey Seager has a chance to become the third player ever to win his league’s Most Valuable Player award and Rookie of the Year Award. The Dodgers’ shortstop is among top three vote-getters for both awards, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced Monday.

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Kiké Hernandez’s father gets good news, cancer is in remission.

Kiké Hernandez cancer

Kiké Hernandez plays catch prior to Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Tuesday. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff photographer)

Dodgers utility player Kiké Hernandez got some good news last night: His father, Enrique Hernandez Sr., learned his cancer is in remission.

Hernandez’s father received a bone marrow transplant in June, and months of rehabilitation followed. Kiké said that his father shuttled from his home in Puerto Rico to Tampa and back for treatment, all the while watching the Dodgers’ games on TV.

Back in June, the younger Hernandez shaved his head as a show of support for his father’s battle. Father’s Day fell shortly thereafter, and Hernandez hit a memorable pinch hit home run in that day’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, a 2-1 Dodgers win.

Today’s news was a long time coming, and Hernandez was understandably in a good mood before Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.

Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda hospitalized, but could be released soon.

A Dodgers spokesperson said that Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda is “doing fine” after spending about a week in the hospital with back and shoulder issues. Lasorda could be released from the hospital as early as tomorrow, according to the club.

Lasorda, 89, has not attended either Game 3 or 4 of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers’ media guide lists Lasorda as a special advisor to chairman Mark Walter.