Rojas mourns death of father, returns to lineup vs. Blue Jays
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TORONTO -- One day after being a late scratch due to the unexpected death of his father, veteran infielder Miguel Rojas was back in the Dodgers' lineup for Wednesday afternoon's 4-3 finale loss to the Blue Jays.
The day before, manager Dave Roberts had been unsure whether Rojas would remain with the team for the end of the road trip, let alone appear in a game. But Rojas came to him that night and expressed a desire to play in the series finale, saying it would mean something to his family and his teammates alike.
"I wanted to play yesterday, but Freddie [Freeman] and Doc took it out of my hands, 'cause they knew it was gonna be difficult to stay in the game and have my head there," Rojas said Wednesday. "But I always have something that I always say, [family] raised me up and they give up everything in their life for me to be a baseball player. This is what they want me to do. They know how much pride I take in showing up every day, and not letting my teammates down."
The funeral for Rojas' father took place on Wednesday in Venezuela, and he was unsure whether he would take time away from the Dodgers to be with his family. The team is supportive of whatever decision he makes.
"My assumption is that there'll be a leave of absence," Roberts said. "But he's got family in Venezuela, he's got family in Miami. … Just leaving it in his hands."
Rojas last spoke to his father, Miguel Rojas Sr., ahead of Tuesday night's eventual 4-1 Dodgers win. Rojas was looking forward to being in the lineup in Toronto for the first time since Game 7 of the World Series, when he hit a momentum-shifting game-tying home run in the ninth inning to help his team to back-to-back championships. Rojas' father sent him a picture of himself and told his son that he was excited to watch him play.
About 40 minutes before first pitch, Rojas received a call from a family member, who let him know that his father was being rushed to the hospital. He was told that his father had a heart attack and did not survive.
"It’s really hard to understand everything right now," Rojas said. "It’s tough. But it’s life. At some point we are all going to have to go through it. I don’t really want to be a distraction. That’s why I’m here, I’m dressed and I’m ready to play.
"It’s going to be emotional, yes, for me. I understand that. But I’ve been through moments like this before with my mom, my grandparents. I know what they want me to do is play baseball."
In a show of support, Rojas' Dodgers teammates wrote his fathers' initials, "MR," on the side of their caps for the series finale, similar to what they did for Alex Vesia during the 2025 World Series.
Rojas' favorite memories of his father all go back to "the way that he lived baseball through me." His father was never able to come to the United States to watch him play Major League Baseball, so Rojas would return to Venezuela every offseason to play winter ball for Tiburones de la Guaira. He cherished winning the 2024 Caribbean Series alongside his father, and even though they were apart for the Dodgers' back-to-back World Series victories, sharing those championships was special as well.
Above all, Rojas tries to emulate the way his father lived off the field. To his father, that meant as much as what Rojas has been able to accomplish on the diamond.
"He was a guy that was always there for people," Rojas said. "He put other people ahead of himself and his good or benefits. He wanted to help every time. That’s what I got from him."