Dodgers Team News

Dodgers News: Miguel Vargas Officially Joins Team as Active Rosters Expand

Dodgers prospect Miguel Vargas officially returned to the Dodgers this morning, as the calendar turned to September and active rosters expanded from 26 to 28 players.

Vargas had a brief cup of coffee with Los Angeles last month, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs in his major-league debut on August 3. In two games in the big leagues, he batted .250 with a .625 OPS.

There are very few doubts about Vargas’s bat, though. He has batted .304 with a .915 OPS with Triple-A Oklahoma City this year, including .375 with a 1.112 OPS since returning to OKC after his brief stint in the big leagues.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said yesterday that while he doesn’t want Vargas to think of it as an “audition,” there’s a realistic possibility of the rookie earning a spot on the postseason roster.

“Sure, absolutely,” Roberts said. “But, that still comes with not having pressure, just going out and playing. But yeah, it’s a performance-based business and if he plays well, and things break the right way, absolutely. He should be in the conversation.”

With the end of the season pushed back a few days, the Dodgers will get a longer look at Vargas than they would have in a normal season; he joins the team with 33 regular-season games left. Playing time will be somewhat hard to come by, as the Dodgers are also trying to get Cody Bellinger, Joey Gallo, and Chris Taylor into postseason form while also keeping Trayce Thompson and Hanser Alberto fresh and ready.

But Vargas will get his opportunities, and with his bat, it’s not outlandish at all to picture him on the postseason roster. He got the call to the majors over proven big-leaguer Edwin Rios and the red-hot James Outman, presumably so the Dodgers can see how he does against big-league pitching and if he can help them in October.

The Miguel Vargas Era has begun.

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NEXT: Miguel Vargas ‘in Conversation’ for Postseason Roster Spot

Jeff Snider

Jeff was born into a Dodgers family in Southern California and is now raising a Dodgers family of his own in Utah. During his previous career as an executive at a technology company, he began writing about baseball in his spare time. After leaving corporate America in 2014, he started doing it professionally. Jeff wrote and edited for Baseball Essential for years before joining Dodgers Nation. He's also the co-host of the Locked On Dodgers podcast, a daily podcast that brings the smart fan's perspective on our Boys in Blue. Jeff has a degree in English from Brigham Young University. Favorite Player: Clayton Kershaw Favorite Moment: Kirk Gibson's homer will always have a place, but Kershaw's homer on Opening Day 2013 might be the winner.

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