Dodgers notes: Miguel Vargas, Michael Busch, Bobby Miller, Miguel Rojas

Miguel Vargas wasn’t at Dodger Stadium for his bobblehead night, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be returning anytime soon, writes J.P. Hoornstra at the OC Register.

According to manager Dave Roberts, the reason is simple: Michael Busch is outplaying Vargas.

It’s likely that Busch will return to the minors when J.D. Martinez returns from the injured list as early as next weekend. But in the meantime, Busch was hitting .323 with a .432 on-base percentage and 24 homers when he was called up.

Vargas, on the other hand, has been stuck in a 15-game slump resulting in a .100 batting average.

From Hoornstra:

“We absolutely believe in what Miguel Vargas is going to do for us going forward, but I do believe that at some point meritocracy, performance should matter,” Roberts said. “Michael went down there and played well.”

Since his call-up, Busch has had three hits, including two homers, in 24 at bats. Roberts attributes the dip in productivity to the fact that Busch hasn’t been playing every day, something he’s used to in the minors.

Links

• The Dodgers are in dire need of more starters. Bill Plaschke at the Los Angeles Times recommends Bobby Miller to not only take on a significant role in the rotation, but also to become the team’s new ace.
• Miguel Rojas talked about his return to Miami for this week’s series, saying that it’ll be an emotional visit for him.