Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Kiké Hernández wasn’t too thrilled with his own team’s social media department over the weekend, and he didn’t hold back about it either.
Before the team’s series against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Dodgers posted a series of travel photos showing players boarding their flight—standard practice for MLB teams. But when fans swiped to the first photo in the Dodgers’ “Off to Philly!” Instagram post, something seemed off. Hernández, known for his flashy and sometimes borderline outrageous sense of style, was shown wearing a completely blank cap. That’s when the drama started.
In the comments, Hernández called out the team: “I feel disrespected that my hat got photoshopped.” And he wasn’t joking. The usually lighthearted Hernández made it clear he wasn’t a fan of having his style censored. The team’s Instagram account tried to play it cool, replying with a zipped-mouth emoji—but fans were already on the case.
Social media detectives quickly uncovered the original version of the photo, and as it turns out, Hernández’s hat featured an… explicit message. While the phrase hasn’t been publicly confirmed, the internet consensus is that the hat had wording that might’ve rubbed team executives—or Instagram’s community guidelines—the wrong way. So, in an effort to keep things clean and brand-friendly, the Dodgers’ social team did what they had to do: Photoshop the hat into something plain.
Still, Hernández felt slighted. This wasn’t just about a hat—it was about identity, about self-expression. Kiké is known as one of the most fun, eccentric personalities in baseball, and this move didn’t sit right with him or his fans.
It’s unclear whether this small moment will lead to anything more significant between Hernández and the team, but it does highlight the strange intersection between professional athletes’ personalities and their team’s image control. In an era where authenticity plays a major role in fan engagement, even something as minor as an edited hat can stir up real feelings.
For now, it’s a minor blip. But if Kiké shows up to the next game rocking a bolder statement piece, don’t be surprised. You can edit the photo, but you can’t Photoshop the personality.
