It’s only been two weeks since Miguel Rojas replaced the injured Mookie Bets as the Dodgers’ starting shortstop, more than enough time for the 35-year-old veteran to change the makeup of the team’s infield come playoff time.
The skilled Rojas reminded the Dodger how important it is to have a reliable defender at shortstop in October, someone who doesn’t make the team’s front office, manager, coaches, players and fans squirm when the ball is hit to him.
Rojas, who hasn’t committed an error in 215⅔ innings at shortstop this season, is clearly that guy. He has excellent reach left and right, soft, sure hands, a strong, accurate throwing arm, and is adept at initiating and turning double plays.
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Rojas is athletic enough to make plays from a variety of body positions and arm angles. His internal clock, which helps fielders know how much time they have to throw based on the runner’s speed, is as finely tuned as a Swiss watch.
“For me,” Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel said, “he’s one of the top five defensive shortstops in baseball.”
Betts, for all his athleticism and his willingness and ability to move from right field to second base last winter and from second base to shortstop – a position he hasn’t played regularly since high school – this spring, hasn’t It is.
He could be eventually, but the dynamic leader is expected to be out six to eight weeks after suffering a broken left hand when he was hit by a 100 mph fastball on June 16, an extended absence that will hurt your career growth. new position.
And Betts, a six-time Gold Glove Award winner in right field, was not in Gold Glove contention when he got hurt – he had nine errors in 531 ⅓ innings at shortstop this season, eight of them throwing and one in the field.
All of which begs the question: If Rojas continues to hit the way he has this season, one of his best hits with the bat in 11 years in the big leagues would be Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts consider leaving him at shortstop when Betts returns and moving Betts to second base, where Gavin Lux Not exactly tearing it up offensively?
“I would, I would,” Roberts said. “I don’t think anyone can debate Miguel Rojas’ shortstop’s level of play. Some of this depends on the timeline for Mookie’s return and where Miggy is physically and how things are going. But to his question, would I consider it? Absolutely.”
In order for Rojas to remain the starting shortstop throughout the summer and fall, he needs to stay healthy, which is why he spends more time with his legs wrapped in a blood flow restriction (BFR) machine and less time throwing balls in the solo, part of a modified pre- and post-game training regimen designed to keep you on the field.
Rojas began the season as a utility man, starting just 30 of the team’s first 73 games until June 16, the day Betts was hit by that pitch from Kansas City Royals right-hander Dan Altavilla.
Rojas started 10 of the first 11 games at shortstop after Betts was injured, a pace made possible by three days off in the last nine days but not sustainable for a player who has battled leg injuries for several years.
“He’s having an incredible year offensively and defensively, and I love the edge, the energy he brings every night,” Roberts said. “What I have to keep in mind is managing his playing time, because he is of great value to our club.
“He will argue, like most players, that he can play every day and that should be his mentality. But he’s still an older player who has had some soft tissue issues, so I’m going to find time to give him days off because I think it’s better for him and for us in the long run.”
Rojas, who enters Tuesday night’s game against Arizona with a .287 average, .778 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, three home runs, 13 doubles and 15 RBIs in 52 games, finally got a day off Sunday in San Francisco . There were no complaints.
“I think it’s a smart move because I’m also going to have the day off on Monday,” Rojas said after having three RBI singles and a sacrifice fly in Saturday night’s grueling 14-7, 11-inning victory over the Giants. “My role on this team changed a little bit when Mookie got hurt and now I have to play shortstop every day.
“I need to recharge my batteries because I’m a guy who plays with everything, every day, and I feel like I’m emptying the tank. I need to refuel and be ready for Tuesday.”
Rojas, the team’s everyday shortstop last season, prides himself on his excellent defense and the passion with which he plays.
“I want to inject energy into the lineup, I want to be in the middle of the field trying to be more of a coach out there, helping the guys with positioning,” said Rojas. “I play hard every day, whether it’s running the bases or diving for balls. I don’t save anything for later. I’m not trying to save myself for September.”
But to make it through September and October, Rojas knows she needs to take even better care of her body, which is why she started doing yoga and Pilates this spring, stopped wearing the high-top shoes that seemed to take a toll on her Achilles and hamstrings. . and hips and spends 30 minutes in the training room before and after each game receiving treatment, including the BFR machine.
Also known as an occlusion training device, the BFR machine restricts blood flow to a muscle, a group of muscles, and joints such as elbows and knees in order to increase lactic acid produced during exercise, a key component in building muscle. . It also aids in recovery and healing.
“I had some accidental injuries, like when I hurt my wrist [on a 2022 slide with Miami],” said Rojas, who had to be removed from an early June game in Pittsburgh due to a groin injury. “But my legs have been bothering me the last few years.
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“So I’ve been using the BFR machine on both legs for the last few weeks. I follow this with some treatment and more stretching, and I feel good. My body is much better than last year when I played a lot.”
Rojas scaled back his pregame routine, which, during the first 2 1/2 months of the season, consisted of extensive work catching ground balls and helping Betts transition to shortstop. In addition to stretching more to increase flexibility, Rojas is eating better and staying hydrated. He goes to bed earlier.
“I’m taking this very seriously because I don’t want them to feel like they have to go out and find someone,” Rojas said. “I think I can do this.”
The moment the fastball hit Betts’ hand, there was speculation that the Dodgers would seek trade for shortstop. Toronto’s Bo Bichette and Paul DeJong of the Chicago White Sox have been mentioned as candidates, but Bichette is having the worst season of his career, and DeJong wouldn’t be a huge improvement over Rojas.
“That’s the problem: He wants to prove he’s that guy,” Ebel said of Rojas. “I give him credit for thinking that.”
Rojas will never be as dangerous in the batter’s box as Betts, but the Dodgers would be hard-pressed to find a better defensive alternative at shortstop.
“It’s a game changer,” Roberts said of Rojas’ defense. “Mookie was doing the best he could under the circumstances, but Miggy is an 80-level defender. He’s grown as a shortstop. The reps he’s done over the years, throughout his life… he’s a tight guy.”
The challenge for Roberts will be finding the balance between playing Rojas as much as possible and resting him enough to keep him healthy over the next four months.
“For me, it’s talking to the training staff, it’s using my eyes and seeing how his body is moving, picking a day game versus a night game, things like that,” Roberts said. “There is no exact science. I can’t just say it’s two on, one off, three on, one off, I play six in a row.
“But he’s so valuable to us going forward that making sure we keep him updated is the most important thing, and that’s my mindset. …I can’t say enough about Miggy Ro. I’m putting some pressure on him as far as playing time goes, but he’s doing really well.”
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This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.
