Shortstop roulette lands on Williams

Less than 20 games into a season filled with high hopes, the Dodgers’ starting shortstop was ... Luke Williams.

If it seems like a startling turn of events, consider Williams’ own family. The path to Williams’ first start at shortstop for the Dodgers developed so quickly that his father wasn’t able to get away from work commitments Wednesday and drive from the family’s Laguna Niguel home to witness the occasion.

Claimed off waivers from the Miami Marlins in November, Williams was nontendered and became a free agent less than two weeks later. He came back to the organization on a free-agent deal with the Dodgers in early February.

His circuitous path was only getting started.

Williams, 26, had his contract purchased by the Dodgers on Tuesday when Mookie Betts went on the paternity list. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, righthander Daniel Hudson was moved to the 60-day injured list as he continues to work through the rehab process from a knee injury.

The twists and turns continued, from Gavin Lux’s season-ending knee injury, to a pair of recent lower leg injuries for Miguel Rojas to an oblique injury this week for Chris Taylor.

Rojas went on the 10day injured list Wednesday with a left hamstring strain, while the team recalled infielder Yonny Hernandez. Rojas already has played through a groin strain earlier in the season.

Manager Dave Roberts admitted Wednesday that the upheaval of Rojas starting 11 games at short, Taylor starting seven and Williams now starting one is not ideal.

“It’s not typical of a ball club as far as kind of sharing time at that position. It’s usually at other positions,” Roberts said. “But I think (it’s) to be able to manage Miguel’s workload, given the soft-tissue stuff he’s had since spring training, and managing (Taylor’s) workload. I think those two guys taking it down, all things being equal, I think it makes sense. But that’s kind of where we’re at.”

Add in rookie Miguel Vargas, who is learning to play second base, and it has left the Dodgers vulnerable at a key area on defense: middle infield.

“I think Chris has played well at short when he’s been in there and I think Miguel has played well,” Roberts said. “... I think the middle infield is certainly not the problem of inconsistencies with our team.”

Williams, a Dana Hills High product, played in parts of the past two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants and Miami Marlins (137 games). He batted .375 with a 1.151 OPS in 14 games at Oklahoma City before he was recalled and made his Dodgers debut as a pinchhitter for Rojas in the fifth inning Tuesday, going 0 for 2.