The Los Angeles Dodgers endured a scare in the seventh inning when Miguel Vargas was hit by a pitch on the inside of his right thumb by a 92 mph fastball from Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Connor Seabold.
Vargas immediately dropped the bat and shook his hand in pain. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and a trainer checked on the 23-year-old, who remained in the game.
“His thumb is fine,” Roberts said after the Dodgers’ 13-4 win. “We’ll get it looked at tomorrow. He said it was sore, but full range of motion, there’s strength.
“So hopefully tomorrow he comes in feeling good. I think tomorrow, the next day, we’ll know more. He was adamant about staying in the game.”
Roberts added the Dodgers did not have an X-ray taken of Vargas’ thumb. It’s plausible the team did not yet send him for an exam due to likely swelling.
Vargas struck out in his next at-bat but did not have a ball hit to him at second base over the final two innings of the game.
He previously suffered a hairline fracture in the pinky on his right hand during a February 21 workout at Camelback Ranch, but was in the Dodgers lineup for their Cactus League opener four days later. Vargas continued to make regular starts despite not being cleared to swing a bat in games.
That eventually came March 9, and Vargas responded by going 1-for-3 with a double.
Miguel Vargas set Dodgers record
Initially being limited to just tracking pitches has seemingly paid off for the heralded Dodgers prospect. Vargas leads the Majors with nine walks in 18 plate appearances.
The nine walks are an L.A. Dodgers franchise record for most through the first five games of the season. Vargas additionally tied with Roy Cullenbine (1940) for the most walks in overall Dodgers franchise history during that same span.
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