Dodgers’ Enrique Hernandez says Trump should ‘show some humanity’ after his Puerto Rico visit

During interviews with the Dodgers in advance of their NLDS opening game against either the Diamondbacks or the Rockies, not all of the queries were about the playoffs. Or even about baseball.

The current state of the world is such that there are so many people in need of support, relief, and assistance after varying tragedies that it would be surprising if one of those headline-news topics didn’t come up in a media scrum.

When talking with the LA Times’ Andy McCullough, Enrique Hernandez brought up a topic dear to his heart: recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. Specifically, the behavior Donald Trump exhibited when he finally visited the island weeks after Hurricane Maria struck.

Reacting to Trump tossing paper towels as if it were a game show, Hernandez said,

“This is a serious thing. This is not a joke. And to see him throwing paper towels out there...it’s like going to Vegas right now and starting to throw Band-Aids to the public. You know?

It’s not about politics. It’s not about anything, other than [being] moral. It’s not a time to be joking. Be respectful to the people who are suffering and are in need. Show some sympathy. Show some humanity. Show some heart. That's what pissed me off. It’s not anything else than that.”

It’s not the first time he’s criticized Trump’s behavior in Puerto Rico. On Tuesday, he tweeted how the president was trying to “make this shit funny” when it is such a serious situation on the ground.

Hernandez, who is from Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, is articulating things many people are probably thinking at this point.

Using his platform in advance of what is a huge series for the Dodgers to bring attention to what is happening in Puerto Rico is admirable, even though his opinions might not be too controversial. It’s clearly an important cause for him, and any belittling of the intense situation is at the front of his mind.