Dodgers News: Miguel Rojas Attributes Hitting Success to Finally Being Fully Healthy
In this story:
Dodgers starting shortstop Miguel Rojas had a really nice spring. He hit 13 for 46 with two home runs, seven RBIs and an impressive OPS of .831.
Considering his career-high OPS in a season in which he played more than 100 games is .732, this would be quite the improvement for the 34-year-old.
Rojas has never been known for his bat, however, this spring, he's worked on tinkering with his approach and turning his bat into a positive aspect of his game. Also, maybe more importantly, he's finally fully healthy.
Rojas underwent offseason wrist surgery after dealing with the injury last season. Now, though, he's healthy, and he said that's made a huge impact on his success at the plate (per Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times).
"It’s not an excuse, but last year, I was really hurting, my wrist was not 100 percent," Rojas said. "You can see the numbers drop, but it was important for me to post every day and be there for the team. But I feel 100 percent now."
It's definitely shown this spring, and hopefully, it carries into the regular season. If the Dodgers can even get an average bat from Rojas, his above-average defense will turn him into a plus player on this team.
It also helps that he's playing in a lineup where he won't be needed to contribute so much.
"I used to be really protective with two strikes. I describe it as playing defense with two strikes," Rojas said. "But now, I have a little bit more freedom. Being in this lineup, a lot of guys can do damage, we’re gonna score runs. So I don’t need to be as protective as I used to be."
Hopefully that leads to a strong offensive season for Rojas, as anything he brings with his bat would just be a bonus.
