Miguel Rojas has had a whirlwind 24 hours.
One day after leaving the team to be with his family, the Los Angeles Dodgers infielder announced on his Instagram account April 8 that his father passed away. Miguel (“Micky”) Rojas Sr. died on the afternoon of April 7, according to his son’s post.
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Rojas has since rejoined the Dodgers in Toronto, where his home run in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series helped the Dodgers defeat the Blue Jays for the championship last November.
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Not only that, Rojas is in the starting lineup and playing shortstop in the third game of their three-game series.
“With immense sorrow on behalf of the entire Rojas family, I must inform everyone who had the privilege of knowing and spending time with my father, Miguel Rojas—known as “Micky”—that he passed away suddenly yesterday, April 7th, in the afternoon,” Rojas wrote in Spanish on Instagram. “I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has reached out to me and my family to offer their love and let us know just how deeply cherished my father was throughout his life. May God welcome him into His glory, and may he rest in peace.”
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The Dodgers are looking to sweep the Blue Jays after defeating them in a memorable seven-game World Series last November.
Rojas, a backup infielder on a star-studded team, was an unexpected hero when his solo home run against Jeff Hoffman tied Game 7 at Rogers Centre.
In the 11th inning, Dodgers catcher Will Smith hit another solo home run to lift Los Angeles to a 5-4 win and their second consecutive championship.
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Rojas, 37, was elevated to more regular duties over the weekend when the Dodgers placed starting shortstop Mookie Betts on the 10-day injured list.
Rojas and Hyeseong Kim, a left-handed hitter, are expected to trade off at shortstop in Betts’ absence. Kim took the start on April 7 after Rojas was a late scratch to be with his family.