Former first-rounder retires

there’s a right answer. I think as we have conversations and let things play out it’ll kind of show itself.”

When minor-leaguers report to the Dodgers’ training complex this spring, their first-round pick from the 2017 draft won’t be among them. Outfielder Jeren Kendall notified the team this winter that he was retiring.

“He called this offseason and just said he wanted to go back to school and wanted to move on from playing for now,” Dodgers director of player development Will Rhymes said. “Obviously we love Jeren, think he’s super talented, love the person and we support the decision even though we felt he had some career left in front of him.”

Kendall, 27, was the 23rd player selected in the 2017 draft and signed with the Dodgers for a $2.9 million bonus.

The Dodgers were attracted by his athleticism and an enticing combination of power and speed. But even during his career at Vanderbilt, Kendall’s game featured a lot of swing and miss.

That got more pronounced as a professional. Kendall hit just .209 and struck out in 39% of his atbats.

He never made it to Triplea. Meanwhile, 20 of the 22 players selected ahead of him in the 2017 draft have reached the major leagues. Rhymes acknowledged that Kendall “seemed to be” frustrated by the lack of progress in the adjustments he tried to make.

“He’s worked really hard. But to feel that maybe it was a little stagnant and wasn’t making the progress, I think, is fair,” Rhymes said. “He was a good worker. He always put forth maximum effort. Sometimes the performance in games takes time to catch up to that work. Maybe we were right on the edge of it clicking. Or maybe not. We don’t really know.

“It just didn’t work out — at least as of now — and he decided to move on.”

Also

Roberts said Miguel Vargas will play second base in the Dodgers’ Cactus League opener against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday — even though he won’t be swinging the bat. Vargas suffered a hairline fracture in the pinkie finger on his right hand and has not been cleared to resume hitting.

“He’ll play, call it, five innings on defense,” Roberts said. “But you can let the Brewers know he’ll be taking.”