Dodgers’ Miguel Vargas Said He’s Never Dealt With Struggles He Faced in 2023
Miguel Vargas’ 2023 season wasn’t just a struggle for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ former top prospect. It was a disappointment.
Vargas struggled tremendously in his first full-time major league exposure. He batted a mere .195 with a .672 OPS, after batting .310 across five minor league seasons. Praised for his hit tool as a minor leaguer, Vargas found himself struggling to make contact in the big leagues.
“I never struggled with my hitting before. Obviously everybody has good years and bad years but it had never happened to me before. It was kind of new for me.”
— Miguel Vargas via O.C. Register
Vargas was handed the starting second base job out of Spring Training and by the All-Star Break, he was back in Triple-A Oklahoma City. He was never recalled to Los Angeles when rosters expanded in September, getting only a whiff of the practice squad before the Dodgers were dispatched in the first round of the postseason.
“(Being sent down), that was very hard. Every player wants to be in the big leagues. This clubhouse – I missed this clubhouse a lot. It was a pretty tough moment. I don’t think anybody wants to pass through that. After I was in Triple-A, it gave me time to think about everything I was doing.”
— Miguel Vargas via O.C. Register
It never came out publicly at the time, but Vargas struggled with injuries. He acknowledges now that he suffered a hairline fracture in his right pinkie during spring training, which limited his swing. In this first week of the season, he was hit on the thumb by a pitch.
“Things didn’t go well last year,” Vargas said. “I had a couple injuries early in the season, in spring training. It was the first time I got hurt. It was weird for me. Things happened and I wasn’t able to be what I want to be.
— Miguel Vargas via O.C. Register
His swing never recovered. He was overcompensating for the injuries and created bad habits. But now, he is healthy and ready to go.
Mookie Betts will enter the season as the Dodgers’ second baseman. In Spring Training, Vargas is focused on learning left field, a position he’s appeared at in 37 games over six professional seasons.
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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