Los Angeles Dodgers utilityman Kiké Hernández has indicated he will skip the team’s White House visit on 23 July to celebrate their 2025 World Series title, amid wider debate among Dodgers fans over the trip against the backdrop of immigration policy tensions.
Kiké Hernández appears set to sit out the Dodgers’ second consecutive White House visit, after replying “I’m not” to a fan on Instagram who had asked him not to attend. The comment, made in response to a fan urging him to skip the trip, has since been deleted, but a screenshot of the exchange quickly circulated online. It stood out given that Hernández was among the Dodgers players who attended the team’s White House visit last year following their 2024 championship win.
A Visit Confirmed for Late July
The Dodgers have confirmed their White House trip will take place on 23 July, falling on an off-day sandwiched between road series against the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets. The visit will mark the club’s second consecutive White House appearance after back-to-back World Series titles, continuing what the organisation has described as the long-standing tradition of championship teams being honoured by the sitting president. President Trump has publicly welcomed the Dodgers’ return, having previously praised stars including Shohei Ohtani during the team’s earlier visit, calling him “a movie star” and “an amazing athlete and person.”
Debate Among Dodgers Fans
The White House visit has sparked wider discussion among Dodgers supporters, particularly within parts of the club’s large Latino fanbase, amid ongoing political tensions surrounding US immigration policy. Despite this criticism from some supporters and commentators, the Dodgers have maintained that the visit reflects the traditional recognition given to World Series champions rather than any political statement.
What Hernández Said About Last Year’s Trip
Hernández’s decision follows candid comments he made about his previous White House experience during an April 2025 interview with Cultura Sports. He described the day as centred more on celebrating with teammates than anything else, while also making clear it had been a fairly tedious affair. “We went to the White House that morning,” he said. “They had us sit in a room for about three hours. Then they told us to stand up and get in line. We waited for a couple more hours. And then they took us to the stage. The guy gave his speech, and we left.” Asked whether he had spoken directly with the president, Hernández said he had not, adding: “I didn’t talk to him, but I wasn’t really interested in talking to him anyway.” He also explained that the decision to attend had been left up to individual players, and that he had chosen to go the previous year in order to avoid the choice becoming a season-long distraction for the team.
A Player Who Marches to His Own Beat
Hernández’s latest stance fits a broader pattern for a player long known within the Dodgers organisation for standing out from his teammates. Over the years, he has delivered major postseason moments, danced in the dugout, brought his own distinctive energy to the clubhouse, and spoken openly about some of the less glamorous realities of professional baseball, helping cement his status as one of the team’s most beloved personalities.
That popularity has persisted through a difficult 2026 season, during which Hernández has appeared in just two games while recovering from an offseason elbow procedure. He remains on the injured list, with his availability for the rest of the campaign still limited as he continues his recovery from both the elbow surgery and a subsequent oblique injury. Despite his reduced role on the field, his presence continues to carry weight within the Dodgers clubhouse — even as, for now, he looks set to be absent from the team’s upcoming return to Washington.
