Dodgers News: Miguel Rojas Working with Miguel Vargas to 'Make Him a Complete Player'
When the Dodgers acquired Miguel Rojas from the Marlins in January, he almost immediately began working with prospect Miguel Vargas. Rojas and Vargas were both in Miami, and before you knew it, they were working on defense together at Nova Southeastern University near Fort Lauderdale.
Rojas quickly took to the role of mentor, and he's proud of his protege even when it works against him. One of those instances came last week in LA's first intrasquad scrimmage, when Rojas was robbed of a hit on a sparkling defensive play by Vargas.
For Rojas, the focus wasn't on getting robbed of a hit, but on Vargas taking a step towards fulfilling his defensive potential. So Rojas felt nothing but joy in that moment, as he told the media recently from the clubhouse at Camelback Ranch.
"Really happy for Miggy and the way he's been working on defense and I'm really excited about that kid and I hope we can continue to make strides to make him a complete player."
Vargas still has plenty of work to do on defense. His bat has always been what drove him as a prospect, and while he's made defensive strides over the past few years, he's now playing second base, a position that's pretty new to him. A reporter asked Rojas what the next step is for the younger Miguel, and Rojas doesn't think there's anything huge.
"Just focus on routines. He'll be able to find his own routine that works for him on the defensive part. Because when you get to the big leagues it's a little bit overwhelming when you play every single day. You have to worry about what that pitcher is trying to do against you that night. How you're feeling, how your body is feeling through a lot of games. So, I feel like if he can continue to do a routine that is sustainable through the whole year, and take grounders with purpose during practice, I think he's going to be ok."
Rojas wasn't necessarily expected to make a huge impact on the field, although with shortstop Gavin Lux out for the season his role will increase dramatically. But the off-field influence is a big part of what attracted Los Angeles to him, and we're seeing the effects of his influence all over the place.
