The Los Angeles Dodgers are still reeling from one of the greatest games in MLB history, knocking the Toronto Blue Jays out of the World Series in an 11-inning Game 7, but the hero of the Fall Classic recently revealed that he almost didn’t play.
Veteran utility man Miguel Rojas had a solid year offensively, but his defense was the main aspect of his game used through the playoffs. The Gold Glove finalist made just two appearances in the World Series ahead of Game 7 (one of which was entering in the 13th inning of an 18-inning marathon.
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His second appearance of the World Series, a somewhat surprising decision by Dave Roberts to start at second base after Rojas hadn’t started a game since Game 2 of the NLDS, ended up paying dividends.
Rojas was the recipient of an exceptional double play from Kiké Hernández in Game 6, despite one out and two on, Hernández caught the lineup and hurled the ball back to Rojas, who had his foot on the bag before the runner could return, sending the Dodgers to the pivotal series conclusion.
Amid the celebration, Rojas tweaked a nagging intercostal injury and woke up the next day aching, having trouble even lifting his arm over his head.
“Doc was texting me and asking if I could go,” Rojas said. “I told him, ‘Hey, let me get to the stadium and hit [to see].’”
Manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Rojas received treatment and pain-relieving injections before the game, playfully saying that he was “Toradol’d up,” and even team owner Mark Walter noticed that his pregame swings looked strong.
“He’s hitting it pretty hard,” Walter said.
Despite a .262 batting average across the regular season, Rojas hadn’t recorded a hit in a calendar month leading up to Game 7. With one out in the ninth inning and a legacy on the line, he mashed his first home run since September 19.
The ball, as Walter somewhat predicted, was hit hard, at an exit velocity of 104.9 mph. Regardless of what Statcast says, his swing was perhaps the strongest of his career.
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