Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Kiké Hernandez picked perhaps the worst possible time to make an error during Friday’s game against the New York Yankees.
Hernandez made a fielding error in the middle of an on-field interview during the second inning of Friday’s game. The veteran was chatting with Apple TV+ broadcasters Wayne Randazzo and Dontrelle Willis when he booted a ground ball hit to him by Gleyber Torres.
A mic'd up error on National Television is tough pic.twitter.com/yWKDyQ5fY7
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) June 7, 2024
To his credit, Hernandez did make light of the issue later in the inning, asking what the previous question was “before I made that error.”
After the game, Hernandez downplayed how much being mic’d up impacted the play.
“Maybe a little bit, but I think I let the ball eat me up. It had a weird hop,” Hernandez said when asked if the interview impacted the play, via Ronald Blum of the Associated Press.
Hernandez added that the mishap would not impact his willingness to do in-game interviews in the future because “we’re getting paid” and “I like money.” Players are entitled to a $10,000 payment if they wear a two-way microphone for at least one inning of a game.
It is increasingly common for MLB players to be mic’d up for national broadcasts, allowing announcers to chat with them for a half inning. The pace of the game generally allows for it, but sometimes you do open yourself up to moments like this. Hernandez might want to consult one of his teammates for advice on how to handle the distraction.
Ultimately, the error did not impact the game. The Yankees did not score off it, and the Dodgers wound up winning in 11 innings.
