The Los Angeles Dodgers lineup for Opening Day against the Arizona Diamondbacks featured no real surprises, but it did include one honorary start at second base for Miguel Rojas.
With Tommy Edman on the injured list, the Dodgers held a battle in Spring Training between Hyeseong Kim and Alex Freeland to determine who would start at second base against left-handers. That left Rojas as the starting second baseman against left-handed pitching, meaning he normally wouldn’t have been in the lineup against D-Backs right-handed starter Zac Gallen.
But as Spring Training came to an end, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told Rojas he would be starting at second base for his final Opening Day on a Major League roster, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“I was kind of speechless,” said Rojas, who has announced he will retire after this season. “I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know if, ‘Thank you’ was the right thing to say because it’s something I earned. It’s not something that I asked for as a favor. So I was just kind of speechless.”
The day also celebrated the Dodgers’ 2025 World Series championship, in which Rojas became a franchise hero for his game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 7. Roberts decided to go with Rojas to honor the veteran for his career, contributions to the ball club, and World Series heroics.
In addition to being speechless at the news, Rojas was also in tears, via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic:
“I couldn’t stop crying,” Rojas said.
Rojas will likely give way to Freeland in the lineup on Friday as the Dodgers face Ryne Nelson, but giving the veteran the chance to start one final Opening Day was a classy gesture by Roberts, and one of the reasons he’s loved within the clubhouse.
Rojas went 1-for-4 in the game while scoring one run, and the Dodgers went on to win the game 8-2 with two separate four-run innings. He also played a solid second base, making a couple of tough plays.
Miguel Rojas’ role with Dodgers
Rojas should be back in the lineup for the series finale on Saturday when the Dodgers face Eduardo Rodriguez. He should see the majority of starts against left-handed pitching until Edman returns from the injured list.
Once that happens, Rojas will return to a utility infield role, giving Max Muncy and Freddie Freeman days off against southpaws. He could also give Mookie Betts or Tommy Edman a day off when necessary.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
