Miguel Rojas was originally penciled into the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup on Wednesday for the series finale against the Seattle Mariners.
However, he was scratched before the game and replaced by Kevin Kiermaier, who was inserted into center field with Tommy Edman moving to shortstop.
No reason was given for his scratch at the time, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Rojas was dealing with a minor hamstring issue that’s not believed to be serious.
“He’s fine,” Roberts said. “It’s his left hamstring, kind of balky, and so we just felt that, with the off day coming tomorrow, just run that same lineup we did yesterday out there.”
While any potential injury news for the Dodgers is certainly concerning, given their season thus far, Rojas is expected to return to the lineup on Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays after the off-day.
“Yes, the hope is he’ll be back in on Friday,” Roberts added.
Rojas was taking ground balls earlier in the day before he was scratched from the lineup, which also bodes well for his quick return. But it’s also possible he tweaked his hamstring during that practice.
Rojas has taken over as the Dodgers primary shortstop this year with Mookie Betts back in right field, so losing him for any extended period of time would not have been ideal for the club.
However, they have the depth and versatility in place now to counter any potential injuries, and it seems they’ve avoided a long-term injury.
Rojas has been having a strong season, batting .283/.325/.404 with a 106 wRC+ while playing fantastic defense at shortstop.
Chris Taylor provides additional depth behind Miguel Rojas
The Dodgers also activated Chris Taylor off the 10-day injured list on Thursday and designated Jason Heyward for assignment.
Taylor provides versatility at multiple positions, including as another potential shortstop if Rojas was to miss any more time.
He first went on the IL on July 25 due a left groin strain, and he has been rehabbing in games at Triple-A Oklahoma City and Single-A Rancho Cucamonga the past week.
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