Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Marlins’ shortstop job belongs to Miguel Rojas.
Venezuelan seeks to prove his value as a starting shortstop
MIAMI — Miguel Rojas has been an everyday player in the past, throughout his time in the minors and every winter when he goes home to winter ball in Venezuela, but he has never had an opportunity like the one in front of him now: Two uninterrupted months as a major league starting shortstop.
Rojas, 28 and in his fourth big league season, seeks to prove to the Miami Marlins and everybody else that he is able to do what he has long believed he can.
“Having the opportunity to make them see in Miguel Rojas an everyday player is a really good feeling, because this is what I’ve been working my whole career for,” Rojas said. “This is kind of a reward for me after all the years I worked off the bench.”
Rookie JT Riddle’s season-ending shoulder injury, combined with the June trade of Adeiny Hechavarria, cleared the way for Rojas being the regular — about three months after Rojas first seemed to wrestle the job from
Hechavarria.
A hot stretch led to Rojas receiving more starts by early May, though the Marlins never named him the starter. Rojas and Hechavarria then went on the disabled list on consecutive days, delaying Rojas’ chance until now.
“This will be an important two months for him to kind of establish he can play every day,” manager Don Mattingly said.
There is little question that Rojas, an adept infielder at any position, can handle himself defensively while playing short regularly. The unknowns have more to do with his offensive production and the day-to-day rigors he didn’t have to deal with as a reserve.
How good of a hitter is Rojas? It’s not clear. Through 2016, Rojas looked like a classic light-hitting-but-valuable utility infielder, with a career .237 average, .286 on-base percentage and .305 slugging percentage.
But this year, in what is still a small sample due to a thumb injury keeping him out for two and a half months, Rojas has been an above-average hitter for the first time. That includes the first half, when he slashed .338/.389/.400 in 24 games, and since returning from the DL, when he’s hit .300/.391/.350 in 12 games.
Rojas is walking more and striking out less compared to years past, but other peripheral numbers — including a high batting average on balls in play and an exit velocity that has increased only marginally — suggest he is due to regress.
A step back from his ’17 numbers would still be a step forward from his career norms.
“There’s always room for growth,” said Frank Menechino, the Marlins’ assistant hitting coach. “But for him, if he just tries not to hit for power, if he doesn’t get out of his base-hit approach, he’ll be way better.
If he tries to do more, that’s when he gets in trouble.”
Said Mattingly: “The one thing I can say as far as output is there’s been continual growth. That’s what you like to see.”
Rojas is managing a sore left shoulder and said Mattingly checks in with him daily, just to see how he’s feeling.
Mattingly noted that Rojas will need to find a new routine. As a starter, he’ll need more energy for the actual game than he did as a pinch-hitter/late-inning defensive replacement.
“Playing every day is a lot different, and your work has to be different,” Mattingly said. “He has to get himself into a routine now that keeps you sharp without overworking. So you’re playing every day, every day, every day, and you have to get a routine that you can be comfortable without doing too much [prep work].”
These two months might be the most important of his career, but Rojas is thinking about more than just 2017.
“I’m looking forward to this challenge to show everybody and show myself I can do it,” Rojas said. “And not just for this year. I want to take this opportunity to take it to the next level and put this on the front office’s mind, manager’s mind and the club, my teammates — I want them to see me as an everyday player.”