Miguel Rojas (baseball)

Miguel Elias Rojas Naidernoff (born February 24, 1989) is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut with the Dodgers in 2014 and also played in MLB for the Miami Marlins from 2015 to 2022.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Rojas and the second or maternal family name is Naidenoff.
Miguel Rojas
Rojas with the Miami Marlins in 2020
Los Angeles Dodgers – No. 11
Infielder
Born: (1989-02-24) February 24, 1989
Los Teques, Miranda, Venezuela
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
June 6, 2014, for the Los Angeles Dodgers
MLB statistics
(through 2023 season)
Batting average.257
Home runs44
Runs batted in300
Teams

Professional career

Cincinnati Reds

Rojas was signed by the Cincinnati Reds organization as an amateur free agent in 2006, and played in their minor league system through 2012, making it as far as the Triple–A Louisville Bats to end his 2012 season.

Los Angeles Dodgers
Rojas with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2014

After the 2012 season, Rojas became a free agent and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization.[1] He spent the 2013 season with the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Double–A Southern League, where he hit .233 in 130 games.[2] In 2014, he received a non-roster invite to Major League spring training, where he was given a chance to compete for the vacant second base job.[3][4] The Dodgers assigned him to the Triple–A Albuquerque Isotopes to start 2014, where he hit .302 in 51 games.[2]

The Dodgers promoted Rojas to the major leagues for the first time on June 6, 2014.[5] He made his major league debut that day as a late-inning defensive replacement.[6] His first hit was a single off Matt Belisle of the Colorado Rockies in his first start on June 8.[2]

Rojas finished the 2014 regular season hitting only .181 with one home run and nine RBIs in 85 games.[2] He frequently took over for Hanley Ramírez at shortstop late in games for defensive purposes. On June 18, he successfully made an extremely difficult defensive play to preserve a no hitter thrown by Clayton Kershaw in the 7th inning.[2]

Miami Marlins
Rojas playing for the New Orleans Zephyrs in 2015

On December 10, 2014, the Dodgers traded Rojas, along with Dee Gordon and Dan Haren, to the Miami Marlins in exchange for Andrew Heaney, Chris Hatcher, Austin Barnes, and Enrique "Kiké" Hernández.[7] In 2015, Rojas batted .282/.329/.366 with one home run and 17 RBI in 142 at-bats across 60 games. This earned Rojas more playing time the next season as he appeared in 123 games, slashing .247/.288/.325 with one home run and 14 RBI.[8]

In 2017, Rojas missed 62 games due to a broken thumb, but still appeared in 90 games, hitting for a .290.361/.375 batting line with one home run and 26 RBI in 272 at-bats. Rojas also led all NL shortstops in September and October with a .354 batting average and .948 OPS.[9] In 2018, Rojas set career-highs in nearly every offensive category; games played (153), runs (44), hits (123), home runs (11), RBI (53), and stolen bases (6).[10]

In 2019, Rojas batted .284/.331/.379, with the lowest isolated power in the National League (.095).[2][11] On September 23, 2019, Rojas agreed to a new two-year contract with the Marlins, worth $10.25 million.[12] In late July 2020, Rojas tested positive for COVID-19.[13][14][15] Despite testing positive, Rojas partnered with the company Stadium Custom Kicks during the 2020 season, branding the partnership as Miggy's Locker. The partnership allowed Rojas to design custom-made cleats to express his passion in shoes and basketball.[16] Overall in 2020, Rojas's batting line was all career-highs, with a .304/.392/.496 line on the year to go along with four home runs and 20 RBI.[2]

In 2021, Rojas played in 132 games, collecting 131 hits, 48 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, and a career-high 37 walks.[2] On October 28, 2021, the Marlins signed Rojas to a two-year contract extension worth $10 million.[17]

On October 3, 2022, it was announced that Rojas would undergo wrist surgery to repair a torn triangular fibrocartilage complex in his right wrist.[18]

Los Angeles Dodgers (second stint)

On January 11, 2023, Rojas was traded back to the Dodgers in exchange for Jacob Amaya.[19][20] On February 4, the Dodgers announced a contract extension with Rojas that would pay him $5 million for 2024 and included a $5 million club option for 2025.[21][22] While initially expected to be a utility player, Rojas wound up the starting shortstop when Gavin Lux went down with a season ending knee injury in spring training.[23] He played in 124 games, batting .236.[2]

See also

References
  1. "Dodgers Select Contract Of INF Miguel Rojas". June 6, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  2. "Miguel Rojas Career Stats". Baseball-Reference.com.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Dodgers trying to add offense to Miguel Rojas' game". Los Angeles Daily News. February 15, 2014.
  5. Eric Stephen (June 6, 2014). "Dodgers option Erisbel Arruebarrena to Triple-A, call up Miguel Rojas". truebluela.com.
  6. "June 6, 2014 Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado Rockies play by play and box score". Baseball Reference.
  7. Gurnick, Ken (December 11, 2014). "Dodgers adding Kendrick, Rollins in trades". MLB.com. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  8. "2016 Marlins Season Review: Miguel Rojas". January 4, 2017.
  9. "2017 Marlins Season Review: Miguel Rojas". November 30, 2017.
  10. "Miami Marlins: Miguel Rojas is a Jack of All Trades". December 10, 2018.
  11. "Major League Leaderboards » 2019 » Batters » Advanced Statistics | FanGraphs Baseball".
  12. "Miguel Rojas guaranteed $10.25M in 2-year deal with Marlins". USA Today.
  13. Nightengale, Gabe Lacques and Bob. "Marlins' 2020 season is paused by MLB after COVID-19 outbreak among players, coaches". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  14. Breen, Matt. "After COVID-19 outbreak, the Marlins decided via group text message to play Sunday vs. the Phillies". inquirer.com. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  15. "Some games postponed after Marlins outbreak". ESPN.com. July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  16. De Nicola, Christina (March 18, 2021). "'Air Rojas' brings personality to kick collection". MLB.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021.
  17. De Nicola, Christina (October 28, 2021). "Rojas' extension 'an easy thing to do' for MIA". MLB.com. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021.
  18. "After playing through pain, Rojas set for wrist surgery". mlb.com. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  19. Wexler, Sarah (January 11, 2023). "Dodgers shore up shortstop in trade for Miguel Rojas". mlb.com. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  20. Gonzalez, Alden (January 11, 2023). "Dodgers add to options in infield, acquire Miami's Miguel Rojas". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  21. Toribio, Juan (February 4, 2023). "Rojas, Dodgers reach contract extension". MLB.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  22. "Dodgers extend new addition Miguel Rojas through 2024 season". ESPN.com. Associated Press. February 4, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  23. Digiovanna, Mike (June 26, 2023). "'I'm capable of more.' Miguel Rojas pushes to be the complete player the Dodgers need". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
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