Dave Roberts Reveals He Almost Pinch-Hit For Miguel Rojas in Game 7

Nov 1, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas (72) celebrates as he runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ninth inning during game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

Dodgers fans — and baseball fans across Major League Baseball — won't soon forget Miguel Rojas' late-game heroics in Game 7 of the World Series.

With one out in the bottom of the ninth down one run, the broadcast booth was already foreshadowing to a possible two-out, game-winning home run from Shohei Ohtani.

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Ohtani's moment never came. It didn't have to.

It was Rojas, batting ninth in the Dodgers' order, whose 387-foot homer tied the game and brought the Dodgers back to life, forcing extra innings where they would go on to win the series thanks to an 11th inning home run by catcher Will Smith. The home run was just the seventh of Rojas' season, as his contributions to the roster are primarily seen on the defensive end.

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However, Rojas' heroic moment almost didn't occur, as there was a moment when Dodgers manager Dave Roberts thought about pinch-hitting for the 36-year-old.

"He's a defensive guy. I inserted him in Game 6 to add some infusion and energy into our club," Roberts said on the Dan Patrick Show. "Looking at the bench, it's tough to pinch hit. And, anyone can say — and you were probably second guessing me, saying you should hit for him because the numbers say that there's other guys that can hit home runs and this. But, it's tough to come off the bench and I trusted my players and he made me look good. He deserved that moment."

"It's eye-test, it's gut – people can't get off the analytics for some reason."

– #Dodgers manager Dave Roberts on trusting his gut over analytics in Game 7. pic.twitter.com/aFskvbq8nh

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) November 5, 2025

With just 59 career home runs between the regular season and playoffs, Rojas has hit home runs on just over 1.5 percent of over 3,800 career at-bats. But in key moments — like the bottom of the ninth in Game 7 of the World Series — statistics fall to the wayside.

"In the postseason, what I have learned, Dan, is it's not about the numbers. You have to trust your players," Roberts said. "And my job is to know the players. That's my job. It's not to know statistics, it's to know the heartbeat of the players."

Whether Rojas will remain one of Roberts' players in 2026 remains a question. Rojas, who has spent each of the past three seasons with the Dodgers, is a free agent. The fan favorite, who will live in Dodgers lore forever, has said he wants to retire as a member of the Dodgers.

For more Dodgers news, head over to Dodgers on SI.