Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
The Los Angeles Dodgers plan to enter the 2025 season with Mookie Betts as their starting shortstop but have other players available to step in if needed.
Miguel Rojas has been a shortstop for most of his career, including the last two seasons when he was the primary starter in L.A.
Betts began the 2024 season as the team’s starting shortstop but returned to right field after missing nearly two months with a left-hand fracture.
Rojas received most of the opportunities at the position from that point on until a sports hernia limited him during the Dodgers’ postseason run.
The 36-year-old is expected to shift back into a utility role this year but is preparing for the possibility of playing shortstop regularly. “I continue to see myself as a shortstop,” Rojas said.
“Every single day I’m coming to the ballpark thinking I’m a shortstop first. Anytime I play another position, it’s just going to be an extension of shortstop there. I know I’m going to get a lot of reps at different positions.
“I’ve been playing third, I know I’m going to get my chances to play a little bit of second base. You know how it is, you never know how it’s going to play out.
“We expect Mookie to play a lot of shortstop, and because he’s one of our best players he’s going to be out there every single day. Hopefully he can play 162 (games), but at the same time, I’ve got to look at my opportunities and chances to play all over the diamond.
“That’s what I started doing a couple years ago. When I first got into the league, I didn’t know how to do it, and I want to be the best at it. That’s why I’m bouncing back and forth and trying to do anything I can to get ready.”
Miguel Rojas has ‘good understanding of role’
Rojas acknowledged he will play multiple positions this season but still wants to be prepared to step in at shortstop if necessary.
“I think it’s a conversation that doesn’t need to be had. I have a pretty good understanding of where we’re at. I’m going to be ready,” Rojas answered when asked if he knows what his role will be this year.
“At the end of the day I need to be ready to play shortstop. That’s the toughest part of the infield. You never know what’s going to happen. Two years prior to this one, I got acquired by the team to be a utility guy, and I’ve been playing 100 games at short.
“You never know what’s going to happen, and I need to be ready to play shortstop. I’m just going to emphasize being ready to play that position because everything else will fall in place if I’m ready to play short.”
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