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WASHINGTON -- Miguel Vargas, who appears to be on a mission to get back to the big league level sooner rather than later, had a big week -- both on and off the field.

Earlier this week, Vargas was held out of the lineup for Triple-A Oklahoma City. At first, some people thought there might have been an injury or a promotion. Instead, the Cuban outfielder was out of the lineup because he was taking his United States citizenship test.

After a few days away from the team, Vargas showed up to the OKC clubhouse with a cowboy hat, proud to finally become an American citizen. Vargas left Cuba when he was 14 years old, going on a journey to the Bahamas before signing with the Dodgers as a 17-year-old.

On the field, Vargas has had a great start with Oklahoma City. After a disappointing rookie season, Vargas came into Spring Training focused on opening some more eyes in the Dodgers’ organization. He took just three days off at the end of the season, then got back to work with his father, Cuban legend Lazaro Vargas.

In 80 at-bats with Oklahoma City, Vargas has hit four homers, driven in 22 runs and has a .300 batting average. The power is also coming along nicely for Vargas, who has a 1.000 OPS in 22 games. Vargas has made a smooth transition from second base to left field, which started this spring.

The Dodgers’ opinion on Vargas hasn’t changed much, even with his struggles toward the end of his rookie season in 2023. If Vargas continues to hit, there’s a chance he could make an impact later this season -- and definitely in ‘25. The former top prospect is still only 24 years old, giving him plenty of time to develop.

In the meantime, Vargas will just have to take the victories and enjoy quite an emotional and successful week for him.

Let’s take a look at some other notable performances in the Dodgers’ system:

• Triple-A Oklahoma City: The Dodgers have Will Smith and Austin Barnes at the big league level, but the club continues to be impressed with how catcher Hunter Feduccia has developed over the last few seasons. This season in Triple-A, the 26-year-old is hitting .313 with a .980 OPS in 14 games. Feduccia also got some important experience last month, when he served as the Dodgers’ third catcher for their season-opening trip to Seoul, South Korea.

• Double-A Tulsa: Dalton Rushing, the Dodgers’ No. 1 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is off to a strong start at the plate. Los Angeles’ first selection in the 2022 Draft has hit three homers and has a .931 OPS.

On the flip side, it’s another slow start for Diego Cartaya, who has slid down to No. 8 in the organization’s prospect rankings. Cartaya had big struggles at the plate in 2023 while also dealing with a back injury that has crept up again this season. He is just 5-for-39 (.128) to start the campaign.

• High-A Great Lakes: Right-hander Jared Karros, the son of former Dodgers player and current broadcaster Eric Karros, has been a real bright spot in High-A this season. He’s made four starts, posting a 2.70 ERA and striking out 25 over 20 innings.

• Single-A Rancho Cucamonga: The Dodgers’ Single-A affiliate has won seven consecutive games -- and Jake Gelof has been a big reason for that. Gelof, the No. 22 prospect in the organization, is hitting .350 with a 1.098 OPS in 60 at-bats.

Outfielder Josue De Paula, the No. 4 prospect in the organization, left Wednesday’s game with an undisclosed injury and didn’t play on Thursday. It remains to be seen if he will need to miss extended time.