GLENDALE, Ariz. — The injury may have healed months ago, but for Teoscar Hernández, the sting lingered far longer than any strained groin muscle. What sidelined him briefly in May last season quietly reshaped the narrative of his year — and perhaps his standing in a championship clubhouse that tolerates nothing short of excellence.

Now 33, Hernández arrived at Dodgers camp this week visibly leaner, 12 pounds lighter, and unmistakably motivated. The message wasn’t subtle. After a season where his defense in right field became a midyear flashpoint and his production dipped sharply following injury, Hernández is staging a personal reset — and he wants everyone to see it.

“Right now, I’m feeling really good — back to the way I used to be,” Hernández said Tuesday. “My whole career I used to be 204, 205. Last year was a little over. But I’m back to normal right now. I wasn’t moving the way I know I can move.”

The numbers tell the story of two seasons within one. Before the groin strain in early May, Hernández was electric, hitting .313 with a .933 OPS and 34 RBIs through his first 33 games. Then came the injury. Though he spent less than two weeks on the injured list and battled through a bruised foot in July, he admits now that his lower body never truly felt right. From the time he returned, he hit just .223 with a .672 OPS the rest of the regular season — a steep drop for a player expected to anchor a contender’s lineup.

“I didn’t get back to full health when I came off the injury. I was fighting through it,” Hernández acknowledged. “I didn’t say anything. I just wanted to be on the field and help the team. But when your legs aren’t right, everything is off — hitting, defense, running. You can’t move the way you want.”

For a Dodgers club with championship expectations, movement matters. Defensive lapses in right field became a topic of scrutiny by midseason. A particularly rough August series at Coors Field intensified conversations internally. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman later confirmed that discussions took place and that Hernández responded with improved effort down the stretch.

But the winter delivered another jolt.

The Dodgers signed All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker in free agency, slotting him into right field and shifting Hernández back to left — a position he has played before but one that symbolizes a subtle demotion. Trade rumors followed. Hernández has been moved twice in his career — from Houston to Toronto in 2017, and from Toronto to Seattle after 2022. He understands baseball’s business reality.

“At this point, I’ve been traded two times,” Hernández said calmly. “Obviously, I don’t want to go. I like it here. But if they think they can be a better team, they’re going to do it. For me, I’m just going to play whenever I have to play. That’s my job.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called him personally after the Tucker signing to explain the change.

“It was short,” Hernández recalled. “He said, ‘You’re moving to left field.’ I said, ‘OK. Let’s do it.’ That’s it. I’m ready however they need me.”

Inside camp, teammates and executives have noticed the transformation. Friedman praised Hernández’s physical condition this week and referenced offseason interviews in which the veteran declared a goal of winning a Gold Glove.

“I love that,” Friedman said. “Teoscar looks great.”

The defensive reset isn’t the only storyline unfolding in Glendale. Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto both faced hitters in live batting practice Tuesday, signaling progress in their pitching builds. Ohtani, coming off 2023 Tommy John surgery and a heavy October workload, touched 98 mph in a simulated inning. Yamamoto threw two simulated frames and is expected to appear in at least one Cactus League game before joining Team Japan for the World Baseball Classic.

Friedman confirmed the organization had a “really good conversation” with Ohtani about not pitching in the WBC, prioritizing long-term health over short-term intensity.

“We want him pitching for the next eight years,” Friedman said. “We’re mindful of the quick turnaround and what we’re asking of him this season.”

The Dodgers, after all, have October ambitions again. And Hernández intends to be part of that journey — not as a defensive question mark, but as a resurgent force.

His offseason wasn’t about revenge. It was about reclaiming identity. About moving the way he knows he can. About proving that last year’s struggles were circumstantial, not permanent.

Spring training narratives are often built on optimism. But Hernández’s transformation feels different. It carries urgency. Pride. Perhaps even defiance.

A lighter frame. A new position. A championship roster recalibrating around him.

If 2025 tested his resilience, 2026 may define his redemption.