Dodgers' Teoscar Hernandez makes final decision on Home Run Derby
The post Dodgers' Teoscar Hernandez makes final decision on Home Run Derby appeared first on ClutchPoints.
The Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, the reigning Home Run Derby champion, has officially opted out of the 2025 event, choosing instead to focus on staying healthy and contributing to the team's second-half playoff run. The decision, confirmed via AM 570 LA Sports, comes after Hernandez cited concerns related to a past groin injury that sidelined him earlier this season.
Advertisement
Hernandez talked about his decision shortly after it was made, via Scott Geirman of Dodger Blue.
'I was considering it at the beginning, but not right now,' Hernandez said. 'Because last year, when I finished the Home Run Derby, I was a little tired, tight. My body was a little tired, and with the injury that I had with my groin this year, I don't want to put anything at risk.'
Hernandez made history in 2024 by becoming the first Dodgers player to win the Home Run Derby, defeating Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. in the finals at Globe Life Field. His victory was a highlight in a season where he also slugged 33 home runs in his debut campaign with the Dodgers and earned an All-Star selection.
This season, Hernandez again got off to a strong start. Through his first 32 games, he posted a .305 batting average with 33 RBIs before being sidelined in May with a left groin strain/adductor issue. He spent nearly two weeks on the 10-day injured list but returned quickly and has remained a central figure in the Dodgers' lineup.
Advertisement
His absence from the Derby at Truist Park in Atlanta means the field will proceed without the defending champion. So far, Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Braves and Cal Raleigh of the Mariners are the only confirmed participants. Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz also declined to participate.
Although Hernandez will not compete in the Derby, he has advanced to Phase 2 of All-Star voting as a finalist among National League outfielders. Even though the fans may be disappointed by his decision, Teoscar Hernandez has remained consistent that his top priority is helping the Dodgers in their pursuit of a World Series title.
Related: Tanner Scott gives props to Freddie Freeman for incredible game-winning catch
Related: Freddie Freeman seals win over Royals with web gem at 1st base
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Nets 2025 NBA Draft first round recap: Brooklyn makes history
NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets went into the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday armed with five first-round picks that may around the league expected them to get creative with. Much to the surprise of many who were watching the festivities take place, Brooklyn not only went off the projected path, but they also did something that was unprecedented before Wednesday. Instead of trading at least one of those picks, the Nets used all five of their picks on players in the same draft, something that had not been done before in the history of the NBA. Per David Suggs of Sporting News (h/t to Paul Kasabian of Bleacher Report), the previous record for most picks used in the same draft was in 1990 and 2009, when the Sacramento Kings and the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled off those feats, respectively. Advertisement While there was plenty of buzz suggesting that Brooklyn would try to make something happen on the board by either moving up or moving some of their picks to future years, but they ended up staying put and took the players that wanted. Here is the recap of the first round for the Nets once Wednesday was over: #8: Egor Demin, G, BYU Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Egor Demin stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the eighth pick by the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Demin being taken at this spot surprised a lot of people around the league given that he was supposed to go outside of the Lottery because of the questions related to his shooting ability and whether he would be able to keep up with the baseline athleticism of the NBA. However, the selection of Demin made it clear that general manager Sean Marks and head coach Jordi Fernandez were looking for players that can handle the ball and make plays. "Well, I was playing all my life at point guard, so I see myself as a point guard. But I also am willing to do whatever it takes for me to bring success to the team and impact the game in a good way. If Coach wants me to be a center, I'll be a center. I have no problem with that. I just know I'm a playmaker, and no matter what position I'm playing or what spot I'm playing on the floor, I'm going to make plays." #19: Nolan Traore, G, France Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Nolan Traore stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the 19th pick by the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Traore was the second first-round pick that the Nets had in the 2025 NBA Draft and while they could have tried to address a different position, they chose to double down on a player in Traore that could play at the point guard spot. Traore is a player with solid size (6-foot-3, 175 pounds) for the position coupled with quickness that could make him a tough cover for even the best athletes at the next level. Advertisement Similar to Demin, Traore will have to find a way to contribute for Brooklyn either by using his physical and passing gifts or by improving his jumpshot to the point that that becomes a weapon in his arsenal. Like many draft prospects, Traore is raw while having a few tools that could help him on the floor right away, but his development will be key for his future. "I bring a lot of pace to the game, a lot of IQ. Being able to make the right play and play the right way for the team, make everyone better around me." #22: Drake Powell, F, North Carolina Drake Powell, University of North Carolina guard. Powell was the one player who stood out from the rest due to the fact that he wasn't a player that is projected to be a ball-handler in any capacity unlike the selections of Demin and Traore. Powell appears to be a player who will spend all of his time on the wing as an off-ball player, but the hope is that his shooting and defense can be scaled up to the NBA level. Advertisement Powell is probably the one with the most questions out of the entire first-round class for the Nets given that his role at North Carolina was mostly as a 3-and-D, something that could mean that his upside is not as high as most prospects taken in the first round. Marks explained why the team went with Powell with the No. 22 pick and what the team sees in him: "Look, I think again, it goes back to maybe taking the best available at that particular point. You know, I loved watching Drake and going back, watching him back in his high school days, and you watch the length that he has, the athletic ability he has, and you know, I don't think he got an opportunity to show everything, obviously, at the college level. So when he was in here for his workouts, and you do a lot of the testing and so forth, you see him up close and personal and figure out what a class act and what a great young man he is. #26: Ben Saraf, G, Israel Israeli guard Ben Saraf The selection of Saraf was a continuation of the Nets making sure that they had enough prospects on the roster that can run an offense and hopefully become more than just ball-handlers if they are able to make their potential. Saraf is similar to Demin in that he has excellent size for the point guard spot, but his shooting and athleticism will be tested at the next level. Advertisement Saraf appears to be the kind of guy that has a great feel for the game and for creating opportunities for himself and others, something that Brooklyn needs in bunches if they are going to improve on the offensive end. Here's what Marks had to say when asked about the selection of Saraf and whether his performance in the BBL league had any extra influence: "It's been great. I mean, their development, to be able to play at that level. And I think, Ben's probably played, if not 70, close to 70 games this year. So, I mean, he's played almost a full NBA season already for a 19 year old. I love Ben's toughness. I mean, it's just flat-out, you watch how he plays, very cerebral player, very creative in how he plays on the court, great passing ability, moves the ball incredibly well. Again, I'm looking forward to seeing his upside and development, but playing over there, at that level, certainly stood out to us." #27: Danny Wolf, F/C, Michigan Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Danny Wolf stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the 27th pick by the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Wolf is arguably the most interesting prospect that the Nets took on Wednesday as he fits the mold of the ball-handler with a potential for more while being in a 6-foot-11, 250-pound body. Wolf was essentially used as a point guard during his time at Michigan and if he can carry that over to the NBA, his ceiling is raised significantly because of how unique his skill set is. Advertisement The theme with Wolf is the same as most of Brooklyn's prospects in that his shooting will have to improve in some way if he is going to be the player that the Nets are hoping for by taking him with their fifth (and last) pick of the first round. Wolf had a chance to speak with the media following his selection to explain what his role could be moving forward: "Yeah, I think it's open minded. You have to earn whatever role you get, whether that's ball dominant, whether that's an off-ball guy. It's up to you to determine what that is, just how you perform and practice. You have to earn the coaches' trust and belief and confidence in you. I know that's what I'm going to do from day one. Yeah, just going to try to earn that as best I can because I know what I can do, whatever that might look like. I'm going to mold to the role, best of my ability. But within that, just kind of keep working until I get what I want." This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets 2025 NBA Draft first round recap: Brooklyn makes history
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Nets grades for every pick in historic 2025 NBA Draft
The Brooklyn Nets went into the 2025 NBA Draft with as many as six picks to use, including five in the first round after a multi-team trade prior to Wednesday. Heading into the Draft, Brooklyn was rumored to be a team that would be trying to move some of their picks given that bringing in five players would be a lot for the player development staff to handle. However, the Nets not only went against the grain by not trading any of their first-round picks, they made history by using those picks on players that fit a specific mold for how Brooklyn wants to play. Under general manager Sean Marks and head coach Jordi Fernandez, it seems that the team wants to operate in a way where every player on the floor can handle and move the ball in an effective manner. Advertisement There is also an international feel to Brooklyn's draft class as three of the five players (Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, and Ben Saraf) were born outside of the United States. With that being said, here are the grades for all of the picks that the Nets made along with the final grade for the entire class as a whole now that the Draft is over with: #8: Egor Demin, G, BYU Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Egor Demin stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the eighth pick by the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Demin was probably the most surprising pick that Brooklyn made as they took him with the eighth overall pick in the Draft despite the fact that most mock drafts had him being taken outside of the Lottery at the earliest. Not only that, but at the time that the Nets picked Demin, players like Duke center Khaman Maluach and South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles were still on the board. Advertisement As this pertains to Demin, Brooklyn did what it could to ensure they brought in the player that was considered the best passer in the class along with having the size to see over most guards at the next level. Demin has some concerns related to his shooting ability and decision-making with the ball in his hands, but at the very least, he should be able to effectively run the offense for Fernandez. Grade: C #19: Nolan Traore, G, France Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Nolan Traore stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the 19th pick by the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Traore was the continuation of a theme that the Nets were using for this draft in the sense that they wanted as many ball-handlers on the team as possible, whether or not the players were polished yet. Traore doesn't have the positional size of someone like Demin, but the Frenchman has the burst necessary to get by most defenders, something that could open his game up in the NBA. Advertisement Traore has some questions to answer with regards to his game outside of handling the ball and passing it, such as his shooting and finishing at the rim when he does get a step on his defender. In the present age of basketball, the most effective point guards are the ones who can score and pass to reasonably-high degrees to keep opposing defenses on their toes. Traore has some work to do. Grade: C+ #22: Drake Powell, G/F, UNC Drake Powell, University of North Carolina guard. Powell was an interesting pick for the Nets given that he broke the trend of Brooklyn taking players with some form of ball-handling in their future. That's not to say that Powell won't ever learn to make something happen with the ball in his hands, but as of now, he profiles to be a player who spends most of his time off the ball spreading the floor and defending on the other end. Advertisement What makes Powell an interesting prospect is some of his physical traits, such as the 7-foot wingspan in a 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame or the fact that he shot 37.0% from three-point range last season prior to posting a 43-inch vertical at the Combine. Powell is just 19-years-old and while his role at North Carolina was very limited, Fernandez and company will be trying to get as much out of him as possible given his tools. Grade: B #26: Ben Saraf, G, Israel Israeli guard Ben Saraf Saraf was a puzzling pick given that the Nets had already taken two players with the projection of being ball-handlers (Demin and Traore) and one player who would be on the wing (Powell), Saraf seemed more like a luxury than a necessity. Granted, Brooklyn is not in a position to worry about roster fit and Saraf at least has the makings of a player who could be the most natural playmaker in this class. Advertisement Saraf has great positional size (6-foot-6, 199 pounds), has experience playing professional basketball and excelling in that setting, and should be able to contribute right away as a passer and scorer. What will allow Saraf to reach his ceiling is if he is able to improve his shooting and defense to the point that he won't be a liability for Fernandez and the coaching staff. Grade: C #27: Danny Wolf, F, Michigan Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Danny Wolf stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the 27th pick by the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Wolf was the fifth and last pick for the Nets in the first round and aside from his brother showing enough emotion for the both of them, the Michigan forward actually seemed like a fun pick. Wolf was consistent with the theme of being a guy who can make something with the ball in his hands, but he manages to do that in a 6-foot-11, 250-pound frame. Advertisement While Wolf showed his ability to be a big man that can run an offense, there are still questions about his fit at the NBA level, most notably his spot on the floor. Wolf is seemingly destined to play primarily at power forward given that he isn't that disruptive protecting the rim as a center, but also has concerns related to how consistent his shooting will be. Big men like Wolf are hard to come by, however. Grade: C+ Conclusion Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; General view after the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images In the end, the Nets remain determined to take as many players that are able to make plays with the ball in his hands despite the fact that most of those players have questionable futures due to various flaws in their respective games. Demin, Traore, and Saraf all have to improve their shooting and/or defensive ability if they're going to be difference-makers while someone like Wolf will have to show that his versatility can translate to the next level. Advertisement Powell appears to be the player that is the closest to contributing on an NBA floor next season because his skillset lends itself to someone being able to shoot and play defense without much projection for either of those aspects. However, Powell did not have that big of a role in college so his ultimate question is whether he is still effective as a player once his role and usage are scaled up. Brooklyn's draft was polarizing across the NBA landscape as most people did not like the fact that they took so many ball-handlers in the same draft while the minority praised the Nets for committing to a specific set of traits that they wanted to lean into. Marks and Fernandez will have to hope that these gambles on players that are merely projects at this point are able to develop to the point where they are capable NBA players. Final grade: C- This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets grades for every pick in historic 2025 NBA Draft
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Should the Nets be worried about their 2025 NBA Draft class?
The Brooklyn Nets came away from the 2025 NBA Draft with arguably the most divisive performance due to the players they drafted along with using all of their picks. Brooklyn made sure to prioritize players who could begin their careers as ball-handlers with the potential to be more for a rebuilding Nets squad, but there seems to be plenty of people criticizing Brooklyn's decisions. "I got some people telling me some things about Brooklyn, people are making fun of these draft picks," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said (h/t to Bleacher Report's Doric Sam) during the broadcast of the NBA Draft when discussing the selections that the Nets made. One of the most-criticized decisions that Brooklyn made was selecting BYU guard Egor Demin with the eighth overall pick, much earlier than most of the draft experts expected. Advertisement Windhorst continued by saying "I got people saying to me, executives and agents, they're like, 'I was watching them play three two-way guys during this year so that they can clap for taking the guys they've chosen.' He's like, 'These two-way guys might be just as good as the guys they've taken.'" As Windhorst referenced, the Nets played a lot of guys last season and most of them are perceived to be players who may have a hard time sticking around the league. In total, Brooklyn drafted Demin, French guard Nolan Traore (19th overall pick), UNC forward Drake Powell (22nd as part of a multi-team trade with the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics), Israeli guard Ben Saraf (26th), and Michigan forward Danny Wolf (27th). Based on mock drafts, it looks like the Nets reached on Demin and Powell while the other three selections seemed to be about where they were expected to go. For a team like Brooklyn, getting their first star player in the draft is key to the franchise progressing through this rebuild in a way that allows them to think about being a playoff team within the next few seasons. Many, if not all, of the players that the Nets took are projects, but if a couple of them pan out, this could be a draft that got everything started for Brooklyn. This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Should the Nets be worried about their 2025 NBA Draft class?
