Miguel Rojas is doing what he can to keep his mind on baseball, but the Dodgers veteran made clear Wednesday night’s earthquakes in Venezuela hit much closer to home than a box score ever could.
Rojas, whose wife and children split their time between Venezuela and the United States, said his family was in Venezuela when the quakes struck. They are safe, but only after a frightening night that left him counting his blessings.
“They’re in a place where they have power, they have connection, they have everything we need to stay in contact and we talk every day. But I still really feel that I’m so far from them right now,” he said, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group.
He described just how close the danger came to his family.
“Literally two blocks away from where my family was two buildings collapsed, the whole building. And the building where my family was was shaking really bad and they had to go away from that place to stay someplace else that night. They were lucky to get away before everything else happened and the building stayed in some kind of good shape to go down the stairs and get out of there.
"I’m lucky to be honest with you guys. I’m really lucky to have my family still alive and with me. I’m not taking this for granted.”
Rojas, 37, is in his fifth season with the Dodgers and his fourth since returning from an eight-year exile with the Miami Marlins. Last November, he delivered one of the defining moments of that comeback, tying Game 7 of the World Series with a ninth-inning home run.
The earthquakes have left other Venezuelan baseball families with far more uncertainty. Catcher Eliezer Alfonzo, who plays for the Dodgers’ Triple-A Oklahoma City affiliate, has not received confirmation on the status of his sister, Eliána, and his mother, Patricia, who were reportedly in a hotel that collapsed in La Guaira. As of Sunday night, their status was unknown.
The crisis has also shaken other athletes from the region. Argentine soccer star Lucas Trejo reportedly lost his wife and their two children in the earthquakes, while Venezuelan catcher William Contreras of the Milwaukee Brewers wept in an interview Friday as he pleaded for help finding missing people back home.
For Rojas, the baseball part of the week has understandably taken a back seat. He played sparingly after the tragedy, batting once on Friday and once on Sunday against the San Diego Padres, and went 0-for-2.
In Other News...
Dodgers Suddenly Have A New Dalton Rushing Concern Against Padres
Dalton Rushing gave the Dodgers a boost in a 15-3 win over the Padres, going deep as part of a night that reinforced why the club has liked his bat. Even with the home run, though, the at-bat drew attention for reasons that had nothing to do with power, as the rookie looked uncomfortable enough for the Dodgers to take a closer look.
Dave Roberts and the team trainer eventually came out to check on him, and Rushing did not seem to want the interruption. He repeatedly waved them off and showed plenty of irritation in the moment, which leaves the Dodgers with at least a little concern heading out of a game that otherwise felt lopsided in their favor. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Make Another Statement Against Padres In Rivalry Win
The weekend finale between the Dodgers and Padres had the familiar edge of a division rivalry, and Los Angeles came away with another useful reminder of why these games still matter. A 4-2 win in San Diego gave the Dodgers the series edge for the season, with Emmet Sheehan working effectively on the mound and Mookie Betts providing the kind of multi-hit, run-producing night that keeps the offense moving in tight games.
Edgardo Henriquez finished it off with his first save of the season, a small but notable step in a bullpen role that can change quickly in a long summer. The Dodgers also had to keep surviving late pressure as the Padres kept finding ways to put runners in position to turn the game, which only added to the sense that this was less a tidy win than another hard-earned statement in a rivalry that rarely stays quiet for long. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Have One Lingering Pitching Question Fans Can't Ignore
The Dodgers are wrapping up a nine-game road trip in Sacramento with a three-game set against the Athletics, and the trip already has the feel of one that has done plenty to steady the club. They have clinched a winning road swing and keep sitting comfortably atop the NL West, so the focus is less on survival and more on fine-tuning the rotation as the schedule keeps moving.
Monday brings another look at the depth that has carried them through stretches of the season, with Lauer on the mound after six hitless innings in his last outing and a strong run since joining the Dodgers after being designated for assignment by Toronto. The middle game pairs Justin Wrobleski with Jeffrey Springs, who has been giving up too many home runs, and then Wednesday offers the part of the series that will draw the most attention as Shohei Ohtani is set to pitch while trying to bounce back from a rough stretch. [Read more 🡒]