The new Dodgers shortstop realizes the urgency of staying with his new team.
The big news out of camp on Thursday at Camelback Ranch is that shortstop Miguel Rojas officially pulled out of playing in the World Baseball Classic. Rojas was set to join Team Venezuela this weekend but now will stay back with the Dodgers.
MLB.com’s Juan Toribio was among those to report.
The Dodgers traded for Rojas from the Marlins over the offseason with the plan that he would be in a utility role for the season. However, a season-ending knee injury to Gavin Lux opened the door to Rojas becoming the full-time shortstop for LA in 2023.
As Toribio notes, Rojas could still join Team Venezuela’s roster for the WBC, but the likelihood is slim. The veteran said he’d rather spend more time with the Dodgers and get more at-bats during the slate of Cactus League games over being in a bench role behind MLB stars like Jose Altuve, Eduardo Escobar, Gleyber Torres and Eugenio Suarez on the infield.
Rojas has gotten off to a nice start with his new club fitting in as a leader in the clubhouse and on the field for LA. He’ll play most of his games at shortstop, sharing time with Chris Taylor on occasion.
