page_title: César Hernández (infielder)
section_title: 2013–14; debut
hierarchical_section_title: César Hernández (infielder) / Major leagues / Philadelphia Phillies / 2013–14; debut
caption_attribution_description: English: Cesar Hernandez stands on third base receiving instructions from third base coach Juan Samuel; meanwhile, Kevin Frandsen stands on second base in the background
context_page_description: César Augusto Hernández is a Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball. He previously played for the Philadelphia Phillies.
  On July 2, 2006, the Phillies signed Hernández as an undrafted amateur free agent, at the age of 16. He made his major league debut during the 2013 Philadelphia Phillies season. In 2016, he led the major leagues in bunt hits, and led the National League in infield hits and triples. In 2018, he tied for the major league lead in bunt hits.
context_section_description: Hernández began the 2013 season in AAA, but in May, Michael Young was placed on bereavement leave, and Hernández was promoted to the major leagues to fill Young's roster spot. On May 29, he made his debut, pinch hitting for Antonio Bastardo. Shortly after, he was optioned to the AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs, with whom he was named to the International League mid-season and post-season All-Star teams, as he batted .309 (3rd in the league)/.375/.402, led the league in triples (9), and was 4th in the league in stolen bases (32). He was the International League Batter of the Week on July 7. In July, when Ben Revere sustained an injury, he was converted to a center fielder, a conversion he made quickly and effectively, garnering a call-up to the big leagues, as he was a "pleasant surprise". His manager, Dave Brundage, commented, "He's done very well offensively and now they're trying to see if we can create a spot or find a spot and see if it's a fit or not." MiLB.com named him a Philadelphia Organization All Star. While with the big-league club, Hernández played in 34 games, batting .289/.344/.331 to go along with 10 RBIs.
  After the season, Hernández traveled to his native Venezuela to play for the Venezuelan Winter League Bravos de Margarita, with whom he hit .254/.318/.347, with 2 home runs and 15 RBIs. He stopped playing prior to the end of the season to rest prior to Phillies spring training. He had played with Bravos de Margarita in the winters since the 2010 season. 
  Entering the 2014 season, Hernández drew comparisons to fellow reserve Freddy Galvis. While Galvis could play shortstop and had experience in the corner outfield positions, Hernández could play center field and was a natural second baseman, and with Chase Utley's frequent injuries, Hernández would likely see time there. Both players were expected to see significant time with the big-league team, predominantly due to the established core – players such as Utley, Ryan Howard, and Jimmy Rollins – being relatively old (in 2013, the Phillies average age was 28.4, the third-oldest in the Major Leagues) and injury-prone over the preceding several seasons, leaving ample playing time for replacements such as Hernández, especially considering the fact that he would be able to continue his development in the minor leagues after MLB granted the Phillies a fourth option year, essentially meaning that they could keep him in the minor leagues during the season without him having to clear waivers. Ultimately, he began the season on the major league roster, but was sent down to Reading (AA) in April to focus on honing his defensive skills at third base and shortstop. In 2014 with the Phillies, he batted .237/.290/.281 with one home run, four RBIs, and one stolen base. In 2014 between Reading and Lehigh Valley, he batted .290/.358/.394	with 3 home runs, 24 RBIs, and 8 stolen bases.
caption: Cesar Hernandez stands on third base with third base coach Juan Samuel
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