Miguel Rojas Had One Request for Dodgers After Tragic Death of Father

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas announced on Wednesday that his father, Miguel Rojas Sr., suddenly passed away on Tuesday afternoon.

Rojas was scratched from Tuesday's lineup just before first pitch due to what the team called a family matter. On Wednesday, Rojas opened up about the situation on Instagram.

“With immense sorrow on behalf of the entire Rojas family, I must inform everyone who had the privilege of knowing and spending time with my father, Miguel Rojas — known as “Micky” — that he passed away suddenly yesterday, April 7th, in the afternoon,” Rojas wrote in Spanish on Instagram.

“I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has reached out to me and my family to offer their love and let us know just how deeply cherished my father was throughout his life. May God welcome him into His glory, and may he rest in peace.”

Rojas told reporters that his father died of a sudden heart attack. The funeral is Wednesday in Venezuela.

Miguel Rojas said he spoke with his father yesterday afternoon. Said he was looking forward to watching #Dodgers game that night. Miggy got another call 40 minutes before game time, saying his father suffered a heart attack. Miguel Sr. died on the way to the hospital
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) April 8, 2026

The Dodgers initially didn't know when Rojas would return to the team, as manager Dave Roberts said the team planned on playing a man down in their series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays. However, on Wednesday, Rojas was back in the lineup, batting ninth and playing shortstop.

Manager Dave Roberts said Rojas made that request to him Tuesday night.

“I had a conversation with him last night and he said he really wanted to be in there,” Roberts said on Wednesday. “For him to feel like he can go out there and play in a big league ball game, whether it's a distraction, doing it in honor of his father, whatever reason, I heard that.

"And I felt it was important to get him in there tonight.”

Roberts said that Rojas is likely to go on the bereavement list in the coming days. On Wednesday, though, he wanted to be in the lineup in Toronto, the site of his World Series heroics.

Rojas said he didn't yet know if he was going to leave the team.

Before the series in Toronto, Rojas said he was looking forward to returning to the Rogers Centre, where he hit one of the biggest home runs in MLB history.

With the Dodgers down to their final two outs in the top of the ninth inning of World Series Game 7, Rojas took Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman deep to tie the game.

Miguel Rojas with the biggest swing of his life.

What a decision from Dave Roberts to put him into this series.

The Dodgers and Blue Jays are tied at 4.pic.twitter.com/czc2KPJYXe
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) November 2, 2025

The Dodgers, of course, ended up winning the game in the 11th inning on a go-ahead home run by Will Smith. It was Rojas' heroics that led them to win their second consecutive World Series title.

“I mean, my mentality was always to get on base,” Rojas said to the LA Times this spring of the at-bat. “I think the first pitch taught me a lot about how the at bat was going to go. I was able to, kind of like, regroup and kind of keep myself in that at-bat and give myself an opportunity to get on base.”

“Then he hung a slider, and I put a good swing on it,” Rojas added. “I knew a strike was coming. I didn’t know what kind of strike I was gonna see. I was happy to put the barrel on that ball.”

Rojas entered Monday's series opener as a pitcher with the Dodgers up 14-1 in the ninth inning. He'll now get his opportunity to play his usual role, but will be doing it with a heavy heart.