The Isotopes are playing big-time baseball this season, sitting atop the Pacific Coast League standings in mid-May. This week at Rio Grande Credit Union Field, the Oklahoma City Comets are hoping a couple of big leaguers can slow them down.
Three-time Los Angeles Dodgers World Series champion Kiké Hernandez and two-time Dodgers World Series champion Brusdar Graterol are both scheduled to be on injury rehab assignments this week in Albuquerque with the OKC Comets. Hernandez, who has played in the most postseason games in Dodgers history (92), has been away from the big league club since having surgery on a torn tendon in his left elbow in November 2025. In three games with the Triple-A Comets this season, he's hitting .222 with two strikeouts and one extra-base hit (a double) in nine plate appearances. Graterol has been away from the Dodgers since the 2024 World Series while recovering from labrum surgery. In three games with OKC this season, he has an 11.57 ERA, allowing three earned runs in 2 1/3 innings.
Coincidentally, Isotopes broadcaster Josh Suchon had a fascinating historical look at the history of Major League rehab assignments published last week by Baseball America under the headline "Investigating The Origin Of MLB’s Minor League Rehab Assignment Rules." He should be well-versed on the context of this week's games.
Sunday's game will feature the annual Isotopes check presentation to the City of Albuquerque for use of the facility. This year, the Isotopes will present Mayor Tim Keller with a check for $2.05 million, bringing the 23-year total of Isotopes payments to the city to $37.5 million.
OKC used to be known as the Dodgers, and they've been the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate since the parent club left the Duke City more than a decade ago. Oklahoma City even went by the name "OKC Baseball Club" for one season, but now they're the Comets.
The Isotopes return home for a six-game Pacific Coast League series at Rio Grande Credit Union Field from Tuesday through Sunday. The Isotopes, Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, are 23-16 overall and in first place in the PCL, while the Oklahoma City Comets, Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, are 20-18 overall and in third place.
Some things have been looking good lately for the 'Topes, some not so good. The Isotopes' plus-40 run differential is tops in the PCL (next closest is second-place Sacramento at plus-19). The Isotopes' winning the road series the past week at Sugar Land, 5-1, was Albuquerque's first-ever series win on the road against the Space Cowboys (11 total series).