Miguel Rojas was excluded from the Dodgers’ NLCS roster due to a partially torn left adductor muscle, and he has already indicated that surgery will be necessary after the season. Additionally, he is also contending with a sports hernia that will require further surgical intervention, as he told Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.
Despite these setbacks, Rojas remains hopeful that he can recover enough to be included on a potential World Series roster if the Dodgers advance past the Mets. He sustained the adductor injury in the final week of the regular season and played in three NLDS games, where he managed two singles in eight plate appearances. However, he hasn’t played since being replaced by a pinch-runner in the third inning of Game 3.
Should the Dodgers make it to the World Series, they face the challenge of having a player on the roster who is unlikely to be at full capacity. Although teams can make injury-related roster substitutions with league approval during the World Series, this does not prevent the Dodgers from being short-handed if Rojas has to leave early again.
The decision will depend on Rojas’ health and the team’s assessment of his limited contributions to the infield. Other injuries, such as Gavin Lux’s hip flexor issue that kept him out of Game 2 of the NLCS, will also play a role.
With these health concerns, Enrique Hernandez has stepped up significantly for the lineup, moving into the starting role after Rojas’ injury. Since Tommy Edman replaced Rojas at shortstop, Hernandez has become the primary center fielder, also filling in at third and second base, including a start at second in Lux’s absence during Game 2.
Hernandez has been impressive at the plate, hitting two home runs and boasting a 1.084 OPS over 20 plate appearances in the last five games. Known for his clutch postseason hitting prior to 2024, his performance has likely been boosted since he started wearing glasses, following a June conversation with Martin Maldonado that led to an eye exam revealing an astigmatism.
In other injury news, right-hander Daniel Hudson missed Game 2 due to what manager Dave Roberts described as a “lower-body” issue. Although he was available for Game 3, he did not pitch during the Dodgers’ 8-0 victory, which could be attributed to the score rather than any lingering injury concerns.
With gamesmanship heightened in the playoffs, Roberts has been vague about Hudson’s injury details. Given Hudson’s past torn ACL and subsequent issues, any lower-body injury raises concerns. The silver lining is that Hudson rebounded from his injury struggles to deliver a solid 2024 season, ending with a 3.00 ERA and strong strikeout and walk rates over 63 innings in the Dodgers’ bullpen. A postseason standout for the Nationals during their 2019 World Series run, Hudson has continued to excel in October, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings so far this postseason.
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