Sports
New eyeglasses give Kiké Hernández a new outlook on hitting
Kiké Hernández has looked like a brand-new player over much of the last month.
Turns out, his brand-new eyeglasses might be partially to thank.
In a subtle change that has had a profound impact on his once-slumping season, Hernández started wearing glasses during the Dodgers’ last series before the mid-July All-Star break.
The reason: A recent diagnosis of astigmatism in his right eye.
The discovery, Hernández said Sunday, originated from a conversation he had earlier this year with one of his friends in the sport, veteran MLB catcher Martín Maldonado.
“He told me that him and a couple of his teammates needed glasses, and they didn’t really know through the spring training test,” Hernández said.
The comment set off a light bulb for Hernández, who struggled mightily during the first half of the season while struggling to distinguish breaking balls out of pitchers’ hands.
“They went through a more thorough test [to learn they needed glasses],” Hernández said, referring back to his discussion with Maldonado. “So I was like, ‘All right, I’m gonna try it out.’”
Lo and behold, Hernández learned his right eye had astigmatism, a condition caused by imperfections in the curvature of the eye that can result in blurred vision.
So, starting with the Dodgers’ first-half finale in Detroit last month, Hernández began wearing glasses during games — sporting white-framed spectacles with a prescription lens in the right eye.
Had Hernández ever worn glasses in games before?
“First time in my life,” he said.
Initially, Hernández was thrown off by the “weird” depth perception his new eyewear created. But after hitting a home run on July 13, he recognized he was starting to see the ball better.
Hernández continued adjusting to his glasses during the All-Star break, keeping them planted on his face while he was away from the field. And ever since then, the 32-year-old has looked revitalized.
In the first half of the season, Hernández batted just .191 with 45 strikeouts and 15 RBIs.
In 20 second-half games so far, he is hitting .278 with just 18 strikeouts and 11 RBIs — including a tying double in the 10th inning on Sunday that gave him his fourth three-hit game of the season.
Three of those three-hit performances have come since the glasses arrived.
“It’s funny because he wasn’t seeing spin, and we were trying to figure out what it was,” manager Dave Roberts said. “So once he put the glasses on, he’s seeing it a lot better, and it actually coincides with him, in my opinion, swinging the bat better, controlling the strike zone and making better swing decisions.”
The breakthrough came at an important point in the Dodgers season.
For much of the last two months, Hernández has been pressed into everyday playing time, starting at third base with Max Muncy on the injured list. That has meant regular at-bats against right-handed pitching, a career-long weakness for the right-handed hitter.
With clearer eyesight, though, has come more competitive trips to the plate.
Hernández’s clutch 10th-inning double on Sunday, for example, came against right-handed reliever David Bednar, on a late-breaking splitter that caught too much of the plate.
“I see him grinding against right-handed pitching,” Roberts said. “He’s not just giving away in those spots. He’s fighting, he’s spoiling pitches and he’s coming up with some big hits.”
Hernández has made other adjustments at the plate in recent weeks, shortening up his swing and getting in “better positions” in his stance. He noted last week that his everyday playing time has helped iron out his mechanics, as well.
“Just kind of going back to basics,” he said. “Not trying to do too much, not thinking too much.”
Still, as much as anything, Hernández acknowledged he is simply “seeing the ball better.”
In baseball parlance, that phrase is typically a figure of speech.
For the newly bespectacled Hernández, however, it’s been a literal breakthrough that has helped resurrect his season.
“I guess I needed them,” he said with a matter-of-fact grin. “It’s working. So I’ll take it.”
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Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley sounded off on the frenzied reactions to the U.S. men’s hockey team getting invited to the White House by President Donald Trump.
Trump talked to the Olympic gold medal-winning team immediately after they defeated Canada in overtime last weekend. He said they would be invited to his State of the Union address and added that he needed to invite the women’s team as well or he would be “impeached.”
Charles Barkley sits courtside against the Minnesota Timberwolves during an NBA Cup game at Mortgage Matchup Center on Nov. 21, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
Trump critics took the joke as a shot at the women’s team, which sparked questions from NHL and Professional Women’s Hockey League reporters as the players returned to their respective club teams.
“I’m proud of the United States men. I’m proud of the United States women. You should have invited both of them to the White House, but it shouldn’t have been disrespect, misogyny,” Barkley said on the “Steam Room” podcast. “Like, yo, man, why do y’all have to mess everything up? Everything isn’t Democrat, Republican, conservative, liberal. That’s why we got this divided, screwed up country. Stop it man. Because, you know, the public, they’re idiots. They’re fools. They can’t think for themselves. I know y’all say stuff to trigger them. Y’all say stuff and y’all know they’re going to be fools.”
Barkley lamented that the average person would get riled up over the supposed controversy.
The U.S. team poses for a group photo after defeating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Milan, Italy, on Feb. 22, 2026. (Luca Bruno/AP Photo)
“We don’t have to fall for stupidity. But we do – that’s my point. These people out here are stupid. They need something to trigger them. Just because they want us to be stupid. We don’t have to be stupid. He should have invited both teams to the White House. Simple as that. Guys who didn’t want to go shouldn’t have to explain why they didn’t go.”
The former Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns star made clear he would go to the White House regardless of whether Trump was in office.
“I’ve said this before, I’m not a Trump guy. But if I got invited to the White House, I would go. I’m not a Trump guy – I want to make that clear. But I respect the office,” Barkley said. “He’s the president of the United States. But if guys don’t want to go, I understand that too. It doesn’t have to be a talking point. It doesn’t have to be un-American.
Megan Keller (5) celebrates with a flag alongside Cayla Barnes (3) of Team United States after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime during the women’s gold medal match against Canada on Day 13 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 19, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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“I just wish y’all would stop falling for the stupidity.”
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Three years ago, as a 14-year-old freshman, Slava Shahbazyan made it to Bakersfield for the state wrestling championships.
“It was good to get experience that young,” he said.
Then came Saturday night when he had a breakthrough moment, winning the state 165-pound championship as a 17-year-old senior for Birmingham High.
“It means everything to me,” he said. “It took four years.”
Shahbazyan, who transferred from Chaminade after his sophomore year, is set to attend Stanford and still in the hunt to be valedictorian at Birmingham. Coach Jimmy Medeiros said he was close to winning last season before finishing fourth.
“He got a lot better,” Medeiros said.
Shahbazyan has been wrestling since he was 8. “My father loves wrestling,” he said.
Two St. John Bosco wrestlers, Jesse Grajeda at 144 pounds and Michael Romero at 150 pounds, also won state titles.
Here’s the link to complete results.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
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Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Dominiq Ponder died this weekend, the team’s head coach Deion Sanders confirmed on Sunday with a social media post.
“God please comfort the Ponder family, friends and loved ones,” Sanders wrote on social media. “Dom was one of my favorites! He was Loved, Respected & a Born Leader. Let’s pray for all that knew him & had the opportunity to be in his presence. Lord you’re receiving a good 1. Comfort us Lord Comfort us.”
Ponder was 23 years old.
Details of Ponder’s death are not yet known.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his team warm up before an NCAA college football game against TCU Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas. (Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo)
Ponder, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound signal caller, joined the Buffaloes and “Coach Prime’s” program in 2024 after spending time at Bethune-Cookman before making his way to Boulder.
Last season, Ponder played just two games for the Buffaloes while serving in his backup role. He recorded two rush attempts and one pass attempt.
The Opa Locka, Fla., native also received tribute from a fellow quarterback with the Buffaloes, Colton Allen.
Bethune-Cookman QB Dominiq Ponder takes a snap during the Wildcats’ spring game Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Daytona Stadium. (IMAGN)
“Dom, you were a blessing to so many people,” Allen wrote on Instagram. “You had a presence about you that just made everything better. You brought so much joy to me and everyone around you. I’m grateful for every lift, every practice, every rep, every conversation we got to share. I’ll carry those with me for the rest of my life.”
Ponder was going to be a part of Colorado’s spring practices, which are set to begin on Monday. It’s unknown if Sanders will postpone the start due to Ponder’s passing.
Ponder also received a tribute from the University of Central Florida.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his players warm up before an NCAA college football game against Utah, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (Tyler Tate/AP Photo)
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“Our prayers are with Dominiq and the Ponder family along with all in the Colorado football program,” the university’s football account on X wrote.
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