Miguel Vargas rejoined the Los Angeles Dodgers this past week because of some uncertainty with their corner outfield production and an injury to Max Muncy.
The 24-year-old has spent the bulk of his recent time with Triple-A Oklahoma City in left field, working toward carving out a spot for himself with the big club. Moving to the outfield came after an injury-riddled rookie campaign last season, and because of a clogged infield mix, his new position has suited him well.
“The thinking was there was more of an opportunity to get his bat playing for us,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said prior to Tuesday’s game. “I think if you look at last year with (David) Peralta, it made sense to kind of essentially give him a runway there.
“We just felt that in the outfield, it plays better. And so I think that also with Max (Muncy) being an everyday guy at third base, having Kike, having Rojas as far as right-handed hitters on our roster, just give him the best opportunity to help the big league club.”
Prior to joining the Dodgers, Vargas batted .295/.436/.583 with 8 home runs, 14 doubles, 38 RBI and a 150 wRC+ in Triple-A. When he roped a sixth inning double on Tuesday, it was his first big league hit since July 6 of last year.
“I think he became a little too static with his hands,” Roberts added. “His mechanics were a little too mechanical, I thought. I think he became a little too passive. And then balls in the hitting zone, he wasn’t moving forward like he typically has done throughout his career.
“Came into Spring Training with a great mindset, looked great physically as well. He certainly turned that into a great start in Triple-A. So I see a lot of that. Now it’s kind of trying for him to just trust that last year is behind him. This is a new year, he’s grown and matured, and just let his talent take over.”
Vargas isn’t the same top prospect that cracked the Opening Day roster in 2023, but the talent bucket is still full. The Dodgers giving him some run at their current spot in the season has given the young player a boost and a plus-look on the past
“I think I learned a lot from last year about dealing with struggles,” Vargas said. “Now I’m just enjoying the process every single day, enjoying being here. I’m on the best team in baseball, so just trying to have fun and enjoy my time here.”
How much run could Miguel Vargas get with Dodgers?
For the sake of hoping the Dodgers brought Vargas up to allow him to have another extended stay in MLB this time around, he’s up to raise the floor of the bench.
In Triple-A, Vargas’ splits didn’t indicate a need for him to be a platoon option. He noted that his swing feels back, which is evidenced in his resurgence since being sent back down to the minor leagues last season.
The tricky part for Roberts is keeping him fresh, while trying to find a decent chunk of at-bats for Vargas. That, mixed with Chris Taylor requiring the same, might spell some changes on the horizon with playing time.
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