Miguel Rojas leaves first spring game with right foot cramp

Miguel Rojas left Sunday’s game after feeling a cramp in his right foot. The Dodgers infielder limped to first base after singling in the bottom of the third inning against the Cubs, and was immediately removed for pinch-runner Yonny Hernández.

Rojas walked on his own down the left field line to the Dodgers clubhouse in the middle of the fourth inning.

Sunday was the first spring game of the year for Rojas, who was acquired in a trade from the Marlins in January, then signed a contract extension through 2024 in February. The veteran is expected to play all over the infield this season.

Getting acclimated to the new rules

Chris Taylor received an automatic strike to begin his first-inning at-bat for not being, as the new MLB rule states, “in the batter’s box and alert to the pitcher” by the time the 30-second clock in between batters got down to eight seconds.

“You almost have to anticipate. When you’re on deck, you have to be ready as soon as you can,” Taylor told Kirsten Watson during the SportsNet LA broadcast. “I was kind of watching the play, and before I knew it, time was up. I actually thought I was in the box, but I guess my head was down.”

Taylor later drove in the Dodgers’ first run with a sixth-inning single.

Shelby Miller was charged an automatic ball in the second inning for not starting his delivery before the 20-second clock expired, but that was the least of his worries in his Dodgers debut. Miller, the veteran right-hander who signed a one-year, $1.5-million deal in December, allowed a double, two singles, two stolen bases, hit a batter, and threw a wild pitch. Miller got two outs before getting pulled after 23 pitches, ending the string of Dodgers pitchers to pitch exactly one inning to open spring training.

The SportsNet LA broadcast on Sunday added a spot in the bottom right corner of its scorebug to keep track of the pitch clock as it counts down. This was not in place for Saturday’s opener against the Brewers in Maryvale. Examples of both broadcasts are below.

Notes

Diego Cartaya got his first crack at the aforementioned spring playing time, on Sunday coming in the form of designated hitting. The Dodgers top prospect fell behind 1-2 to Cubs left-hander Bailey Horn with one out in the seventh, but then worked a walk in his first plate appearance of the spring. He also walked in the eighth.

Cartaya scored in the seventh when catcher Hunter Feduccia hit a three-run home run to give the Dodgers the lead. Feduccia added a two-run double in the eighth.

Alex Vesia and Brusdar Graterol each struck out two in their respective scoreless innings, with Vesia working around a walk and Graterol allowing a two-out fly-ball single.

Hernández, who pinch-ran for Rojas in the third inning, stayed in the game to play shortstop, then later played second base and third base in the game. Hernández drove in a run with a force out then stole a base in the eighth.

Up next

The Dodgers head to Peoria Monday for the first of two spring tilts against the Padres (12:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Ryan Pepiot will be the first pitcher on the mound for Los Angeles, with Nabil Crismatt starting things off for San Diego.