Miguel Rojas hopeful to be back in Dodgers lineup Friday

Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas has been out of action since suffering a left groin injury in Sunday’s loss to Arizona, but he is confident that he will return to the lineup as early as Friday.

After a season-ending ACL injury to Gavin Lux, Rojas was tasked as the starting shortstop for the Dodgers on Opening Day. Within four games of play so far, Rojas has connected twice for a base hit in 14 at bats, netting an OPS of just .414. Rojas’ return will be a much needed return to normalcy for the Dodgers defensively, as they have been utilizing Mookie Betts at second base and Chris Taylor at shortstop while Rojas and Miguel Vargas have been hampered with injuries.

The club has shown optimism for Vargas’ return, as Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times notes how the Dodgers were ready to ease him into pinch hit opportunities during last night’s game. For Rojas, there isn’t 100% certainty on his return.

Harris details the precaution manager Dave Roberts has for his shortstop:

“‘It’s just the position he’s playing and that part of the body, the groin, it’s so dynamic,’ Roberts said. ‘One move can set you back weeks. We just can’t afford that.’”

Links

• Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner have been rivals ever since the both of them debuted, yet Kershaw has shown nothing but respect to his counterpart. Matt Borelli of Dodger Blue takes a look at how Kershaw views Bumgarner ahead of their matchup Friday night.
• The first week of regular season play for the 2023 season has been absolutely electric, and it can be hard to keep track of all that’s happened. Houston Mitchell of the Los Angeles Times breaks down the Dodgers’ first week of the new season.
• The new pitch clock has seen games being played at record speeds, yet it has already caused controversy between hitters and pitchers alike. Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times takes a look into how the Dodgers feel about the pitch clock.
• Kyle Glaser of Baseball America takes a look at where Dodgers prospects Miguel Vargas and Michael Busch are listed within the top second base prospects.