Dodgers News: Miguel Rojas Dislocates Finger In Winter League
At the conclusion of the 2014 season, which was his first in the Majors, Miguel Rojas was one of multiple Los Angeles Dodgers who began playing in a Winter League.
Rojas returned to his native Venezuela to play for the Tiburones de La Guaira, however he’s expected to miss some time with an injury according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas dislocated his left little finger while playing in the Venezuelan Winter League, but X-rays revealed no fractures and he is expected to miss one week.
Through 28 games with the Tiburones, Rojas is batting .264/.337/.330. In 91 at-bats he’s hit four doubles, driven in 11 runs, and struck out 19 times. In his first year with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate last season, the shortstop hit .302/.353/.434 in 51 games.
Injuries to Hanley Ramirez and Juan Uribe in June created an opportunity for Rojas to make his Major-League debut and his strong glove quickly earned him a spot on the roster for good. Just under two weeks after being promoted from Triple-A, Rojas made a backhanded stop and strong throw from foul territory to keep Clayton Kershaw’s no-hitter intact.
Where Rojas struggled was at the plate, as he hit a lowly .181/.242/.221 in 85 games with the Dodgers. He worked with hitting coach Mark McGwire, which didn’t necessarily paid dividends as Rojas’ batting average dropped each month. With Ramirez now a member of the Boston Red Sox, Rojas conceivably could be someone the Dodgers rely on to fill the void left at shortstop.
However, the odds aren’t in his favor given the trouble he had with the bat. Moreover, the Dodgers were reported as being interested in acquiring Alexei Ramirez. Whether or not Rojas is handed the shortstop responsibilities, his glove and versatility should again earn him some time with the Dodgers next season.
If the guy could hit consistently or if the rest of the lineup did a good enough job at the plate, LAD would be fine. He plays good defense but with the way our bats slumped troughout the season it wouldn’t be enough. We need the shortstop to be a viable hitter.