Tag Archives: Miguel Rojas

Feb 09

World Baseball Classic 2023

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This event is supposed to be a quadrennial affair, but the pandemic played hell with that as it did with so much else. So, two years late, it begins March 8.

After a six-year wait, the World Baseball Classic has returned, and it’s bigger than ever. That’s not hyperbole, either: The tournament field has been expanded to 20 teams, with three first-time participants in Great Britain, the Czech Republic and Nicaragua [What took Nicaragua so long to enter? It failed to qualify in its previous three attempts. Panama is a returnee after missing the last two Classics.] hoping for a Cinderella run. But they’ll need to get past Japan (looking for its third title), the USA (hoping for a repeat), the Dominican Republic (the pre-tournament favorite) and Puerto Rico (trying to win it all following back-to-back second-place finishes).

Baseball is more of a global game than ever before, and that’s proven on the rosters: There are 67 MLB All-Stars, 186 players on 40-man rosters and 332 players under contract with big league teams. There are eight Major League MVPs in Paul Goldschmidt, Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw, Jose Altuve and Miguel Cabrera. In fact, 16 of the top 18 finishers for the 2022 NL MVP and six of the top 10 finishers for the 2022 AL MVP are scheduled to participate in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, with the reigning Nippon Professional Baseball MVP Munetaka Murakami and Korea Baseball Organization MVP Jung-Hoo Lee joining in, too.

So how many Dodgers are playing and for whom? Funny you should ask.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Austin Barnes, C (MEX), Mookie Betts, OF (USA), Liam Doolan, RHP (AUS), Freddie Freeman, INF (CAN), Clayton Kershaw, LHP (USA), Adam Kolarek, LHP (ISR – DPP), Jose Ramos, OF (PAN), Miguel Rojas, INF (VEN), Will Smith, C (USA), Trayce Thompson, OF (GBR), Julio Urías, LHP (MEX).

One more connection: Mike Piazza is managing Italy’s team.

Why is the Dominican Republic the favorite? Well:

This lineup is a veritable Murderers’ Row, with Rafael Devers and Manny Machado battling for time at third base, Mariners sensation Julio Rodríguez joining an outfield with Eloy Jiménez and Juan Soto, and Vlad Guerrero Jr.’s freshly minted Gold Glove and powerful bat just added to the mix.

The rotation looks just as strong as the offense, with reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara fronting a staff featuring World Series champion Cristian Javier, young Pirates fireballer Roansy Contreras and veteran hurler Johnny Cueto.

One more thing:

Note: Players marked “DPP” are members of their team’s Designated Pitcher Pool. Each WBC team may choose up to 10 players as part of their pool — these players are eligible to participate in one or more consecutive rounds of the WBC, but if replaced on their team’s roster will be unavailable for the rest of the tournament. Affiliated players in Designated Pitcher Pools who are not actively on their team’s WBC roster during a given round will report to Spring Training with their Major League clubs.

Adam Kolarek is part of Israel’s Designated Pitcher Pool.

Apr 12

Game Four, 2022

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Dodgers at Twins, 4:40 PM PDT, TV: BSN, SPNLA

The Dodgers’ LHP Andrew Heaney makes his first start of the year. He’ll face RHP Chris Archer, who’s doing the same. Heaney was a Dodger in 2014, coming to them with Chris Hatcher, Austin Barnes, and Enrique Hernández from the Marlins in exchange for Dan Haren, Dee Gordon, and Miguel Rojas. Five hours later the Dodgers traded him to the Angels, receiving Howie Kendrick in return. This is Archer’s first season with the Twins; he was 1-1 with a 4.66 ERA in 19 innings with the Rays last year.

On this day in Dodgers history:

  • 1906 At Brooklyn’s Washington Park, Boston Beaneater rookie Johnny Bates becomes the first modern player to homer in his first major league at-bat. The 23 year-old outfielder connects off Harry McIntire in the top of the second inning in the team’s 2-0 Opening Day victory over the Superbas.
  • 1962 Pete Richert, making his major league debut, comes out of the bullpen and strikes out the first six batter he faces, a major league record. The rookie southpaw fans four in the third inning in LA’s 11-7 comeback victory over the Reds at Dodger Stadium.
  • 1976 The game against the Padres is rained out at Dodger Stadium for only the second time in the 14-year history of the ballpark. The washout ends a streak started in April 1967, covering a span of 724 straight contests, with subsequent postponements coming much sooner when inclement weather cancels two consecutive home dates in September.

Lineups when available.

Sep 02

Game 139, 2014

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Nationals at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA

Clayton Kershaw goes for win number 17 tonight against Doug Fister. Fister is 0-2 over his last three starts, but he won his first two in August. He’s 12-5 with a 2.55 ERA.

Lineup when available.

More callup news: Dodgers officially recall Carlos Frias, Miguel Rojas and Erisbel Arruebarrena. Active roster now has 33 players.

Aug 30

Game 136, 2014

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Dodgers at Padres, 5:40PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSSD, MLB.tv free game

Zack Greinke brings his presumably-recovering elbow to the mound to face the Padres at Petco Park for the first time this season. He beat the San Diegans on April 1 at Dodger Stadium in his only time facing them this year. Greinke is 13-8 with a 2.79 ERA. Ian Kennedy of the Padres, on the other hand, will face the Dodgers for the fifth time this season. He was the losing pitcher in the Greinke game on April Fool’s Day, in fact. Kennedy is 10-11 with a 3.75 ERA.

In player news, Hyun-Jin Ryu will come off the DL tomorrow and pitch against San Diego. Roberto Hernandez will now pitch on Monday against the Nationals. Mattingly says the matchups make sense, since Ryu has given up only one run to the Padres in 19 innings this year. Hernandez has allowed Washington one unearned run in 15 innings this year. Scott Van Slyke’s ankle isn’t nearly as bad as it looked when he first turned it the other night, as should have been obvious since he was sent up to pinch-hit last night.

Lineup when available.

I don’t know whether it was oversight or Hanley talking his way into the lineup, but the original one had Rojas at short hitting 7th.

Aug 17

Game 126, 2014

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Brewers at Dodgers, 1:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA

It’ll be Dan Haren for the Dodgers and Wily Peralta for the Brew Crew. Peralta is 14-7 with a 3.46 ERA. This will be his second try at win number fifteen. Haren is 10-9 with a 4.50 ERA, but has won his last two after a five-game losing streak.

In Uribe’s absence the Dodgers might try Hanley Ramirez there, leaving Rojas at shortstop. Of course they give Barney the start at short today. Ramirez took some grounders at third on Saturday.

Lineup:

Jun 06

Game 62, 2014

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Dodgers at Rockies 5:40PM PT, TV: SPNLA

After a 4-6 homestand, the Dodgers take their show on the road. Tonight they send out Hyun-Jin Ryu, who is 6-2 with a 3.09 ERA overall and a shiny 4-0 away from Dodger Stadium with a 0.56 road ERA. The Rockies will send out rookie Eddie Butler, who’s considered their Number 2 prospect. He’s a right-handed 23-year-old who was 4-4 with a 2.49 ERA in 11 starts at Double-A Tulsa. Last year, he had a Rockies organization-best 1.80 ERA in 28 starts split between A and Double-A.

Via Twitter we learn that the Dodgers have optioned Erisbel Arruebarrena to Triple-A and selected the contract of Miguel Rojas from the Isotopes. In addition, they moved Chris Withrow to the 60-day disabled list.

Young Mr. Puig went hunting for snow (can it be that this is the first time he’s been in the stuff? I suppose so!) and built an “LA” fort.

More Puig: Jay Jaffe of SI celebrates the Wild Horse’s one-year anniversary with some applause and some video.

Lineup when available.