Rojas, 37, said prior to the season that he expected 2026 to be his last as a player, though he seemed open to reconsidering at times. Late-season flareups of his shoulder and back brought an end to that, though. Rojas finishes a rare career with a .260/.313/.363 line in 4,411 plate appearances over 13 seasons. He had a career .627 OPS in the minors, a .644 OPS in the majors through age 29 and then a .692 OPS in his thirties. He came in at .732 and racked up 5.5 bWAR in 217 games between the Dodgers’ championship seasons in 2024 and ’25.
Rojas exited Game 3 of the NLDS and sat out Game 4 due pain in his lower back, but he’s feeling much improved after a recent cortisone injection. He was able to take ground balls and swing the bat on Saturday without issue and should be good to go barring any setbacks.
Rojas exited Game 3 of the NLDS due to pain in his lower back and sat out Game 4 on Wednesday. While he has progressed steadily during their time off, he’s still not ready to return and could potentially be left off of the Dodgers’ roster for their NLCS battle against the Brewers. Expect the Dodgers to make a final decision on his status on Sunday.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Rojas isn’t feeling great and won’t be available off the bench after leaving Game 3 with lower back pain. However, they’re not considering removing him from their playoff roster since that would require him to miss the NLCS against the Brewers or Padres as well. It’ll be Enrique Hernández taking over at second base in his absence.
It doesn’t sound like a massive concern, but back issues can be a complicated matter, especially without additional downtime and significant travel during the postseason. Rojas was lifted during the eighth inning of Game 3 in Atlanta after going 0-for-3 at the dish. He’s presumably day-to-day for the remainder of the series.
Rojas appeared to be in some considerable discomfort after fouling off a pitch during an eighth-inning at-bat. He was 0-for-3 prior to exiting. The 37-year-old veteran has been an indispensable role player for the Dodgers in the postseason for the last couple years. There should be an update on his status following the contest.
With left-hander Chris Sale on the mound, the Dodgers will sit both Tommy Edman and Max Muncy and go with a right-heavy lineup. The Dodgers will also move Shohei Ohtani down to fifth in the lineup, as the reigning MVP has struggled in the first two games of action after returning from injury. The full lineup with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound for Los Angeles: SS Mookie Betts, 1B Freddie Freeman, RF Teoscar Hernandez, C Will Smith, DH Ohtani, 2B Rojas, CF Andy Pages, RF Kyle Tucker and 3B Enrique Hernandez.
Rojas told reporters he didn’t require an injection in his shoulder after aggravating an existing labrum team while diving for a ball during Sunday’s game against the Marlins. It’s an encouraging sign that the 37-year-old infielder, who is expected to retire at the conclusion of the year, is already back in the lineup without missing any additional time. It doesn’t appear to be a significant concern moving forward.
Rojas has been dealing with a labrum tear for years. He said he’ll get treatment and expects to resume playing soon. In the meantime, Kiké Hernández could be in line for additional infield time.
Rojas made it a 4-3 game in the seventh in his first action since leaving Saturday’s game with a minor shin injury. He later indicated that he could have stayed in that contest, but he thought Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s chances of completing a perfect game would have been better with Santiago Espinal replacing him.
Rojas was scratched from the lineup on Tuesday and then later posted on Instagram that his father had suddenly passed away. He will be back in the lineup on Wednesday, in what is sure to be an emotional game for him.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Rojas was scratched to tend to a family matter. Hyeseong Kim takes over at shortstop and will bat eighth in his place.
Source: Bill PlunkettNBC Sports / Rotoworld·Read update →
Throughout the spring, the second base position had been framed as a platoon situation between Santiago Espinal and Alex Freeland, so naturally it’s Rojas who gets the start there on Opening Day. It’s likely just manager Dave Roberts respecting and giving the nod to the 37-year-old veteran for Opening Day. Here’s the full lineup against Zac Gallen on Opening Day: Shohei Ohtani (DH), Kyle Tucker (RF), Mookie Betts (SS), Freddie Freeman (1B), Will Smith (C), Max Muncy (3B), Teoscar Hernandez (LF), Andy Pages (CF) and Miguel Rojas (2B).
The 37-year-old infielder led off the home half of the first inning with a single, swiped second base and scored the game’s first run on an RBI single by Freddie Freeman. Rojas also singled in the second inning and again in the fourth. He’s a candidate to start at second base with Tommy Edman (ankle) sidelined to begin the season, or he could remain in his regular utility infielder role while Hyesong Kim or Santiago Espinal get the call there.
The deal is now official. Rojas returns as an extremely important utility specialist for the back-to-back World Series champions after playing a starring role during the most recent Fall Classic. The 36-year-old veteran gives Los Angeles a decent fallback option at second base and figures to play all over the infield next season. He can be safely ignored in all fantasy formats at this advanced stage of his career.
Álvarez-Montes reports that Rojas will earn $5.5 million, and that this will be the final year before he retires. The 36-year-old was a hero in the World Series for the Dodgers in 2026 while hitting the game-tying homer in the ninth, but he also was a solid utility player for the club prior to that while slashing .262/.318/.397 over 317 at-bats. He likely will serve in the same role in 2026.
Source: Daniel Álvarez-MontesNBC Sports / Rotoworld·Read update →
Rojas said he received injections after arriving at the ballpark in the afternoon and additional painkillers before the first pitch. Of course, he suited up afterwards and ended up hitting a game-tying homer in the ninth inning. Had he not been able to go, the Dodgers were planning to activate Michael Conforto for the first time in the postseason.
The light-hitting 36-year-old infielder stunned the Blue Jays when he launched a full-count slider from closer Jeff Hoffman 387 feet (104.9 mph EV) for a game-tying solo homer with one out in the ninth inning. It was just his second round-tripper since July 19. That unlikely blast — in addition to a phenomenal defensive effort in the bottom of the ninth inning with the bases loaded — set the stage for Will Smith’s extra-inning heroics, as the Dodgers clinched their second consecutive World Series title.
