LOS ANGELES — When Kiké Hernández , not Miguel Rojas , ran out to shortstop to begin the fourth inning Sunday afternoon, it was enough to draw pause. The Los Angeles Dodgers have needed Rojas more than they could’ve imagined, bridging the gap at shortstop with Mookie Betts on the injured list nursing a broken hand. He’s delivered one of the best years of his career.
Given his production in Betts’ absence, it was worth at least a conversation about whether the 36-year-old veteran should remain there full time even when Betts came back. Advertisement Then Rojas exited the Dodgers’ 9-6 win over the Boston Red Sox , citing right forearm tightness. Rojas identified one-handed swings he took with a heavier bat as a hitting drill during the All-Star break as the culprit.
He felt “a little sharp pain” as he fielded a grounder in Saturday night’s win before exiting Sunday’s contest. The veteran waved away any potential concern, and won’t undergo an MRI. “Just want to be smart,” Rojas said.
“I’m not going to let myself go down badly if I can actually take my time and be smart about it.” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Rojas won’t be in the lineup Monday against the San Francisco Giants and possibly a couple of days after that to ensure it is taken care of. With less than 10 days until the July 30 trade deadline, a simple twinge is enough to change a club’s priorities.
Bottom of the order life The Dodgers have work to do to improve baseball’s mo.