Dodgers News: Roberts Hoping Miguel Vargas Can be Swinging in a Game This Weekend

Dodgers second baseman Miguel Vargas has been playing in spring training games this week, but he’s not yet cleared to swing the bat in games because of a fractured right pinky finger. He’s playing defense just fine and it doesn’t affect his throwing or his swinging, but the team is being extra cautious about the vibration of the bat when hitting a big-league fastball.

Vargas has still been playing because he needs the reps on defense at his new position, and standing in the batter’s box and tracking pitches is very useful for a young player adjusting to the majors, so he’s getting a lot of the benefit he’d get if he were fully playing. He’s also somehow walked three times this spring despite everyone knowing he’s not going to swing, so he’s getting more baserunning work than he might have expected at this point.

Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts talked to the media on Wednesday and said Vargas is close to returning to full game action.

“So Miguel is taking, doing coaches batting practice in the cage today and I think Friday is going to be an off day, a full off day. And then Saturday, he’ll be back playing and, hopefully, after the off day, he’ll get the green light to swing the bat during the game.”

It’s a big season for Vargas. After a cup of coffee in which he didn’t get consistent playing time and didn’t play well when he was in the lineup, Vargas will be LA’s starting second baseman this year, a position he hasn’t played much in the past. He’s worked hard this offseason with coach Dino Ebel and with new teammate Miguel Rojas, and he’s already turning some heads with his defense. His bat is the reason he’s in the big leagues, though, and everyone is waiting with bated breath to see Vargas start hitting regularly.

Our collective breath won’t have to be bated for much longer, it looks like. Saturday is the day Vargas gets to start hitting.

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