Eight days after being released by the Chicago White Sox, Ken Boyer signed a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 10, 1968. He had played sparingly for Chicago; in 10 games he batted only .125.

Boyer signed with the West Coast club understanding that his role was as a pinch hitter and bench player and not a regular. He split time between third and first base under manager Walter Alston and appeared in 83 games, hitting a respectable .271 with six home runs and 41 runs batted in the rest of the season. He wore number 45 for the Dodgers; outfielder Len Gabrielson already had number 14, Boyer's number throughout his major league career.

Boyer returned to Los Angeles in 1969, the final season of his 15-year major league career. At 38 years old, the former All-Star appeared in only 25 games (all but four as a pinch hitter) and batted .206. The Dodgers asked him to return the following season as a coach, but he declined so he could pursue a possible mangerial job in the minor leagues. The team gave him his unconditional release on October 8, 1969.