Miami Marlins will be without Miguel Rojas for months
If you didn't know that there was someone named Miguel Rojas on the Miami Marlins, it would be hard to blame you. That doesn't change the fact that he will miss time with a broken thumb.
Rojas thumb broken. will be in a cast @Marlins will miss months
— Joe Frisaro (@JoeFrisaro) May 9, 2017
Miguel Rojas has been with the Miami Marlins for the past three seasons after being part of the trade that sent Dee Gordon, Dan Haren and cold hard cash to Miami during the 2014 offseason. Rojas debuted with the Los Angeles Dodgers the previous season, batting just .181 while primarily manning short and third, getting just 162 plate appearances in 85 games.
Since coming over to Miami he has continued that trend of being a defense first player, not topping more than 200 at-bats in any big league season to date. Per FanGraphs, he has accrued a total of 1.2 WAR in his three big league seasons while getting few chances at the plate, which bodes well for his defensive ability. He had also saved 19 runs in that time.
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That is, until this season with the Marlins as a 28 year old, playing everywhere around the infield besides backstop. Just a little over a month in, Rojas was getting more time at the plate than Derek Dietrich and Adeiny Hechavarria. He was on pace to surpass 200 at-bats by a wide margin, having already collected 65.
The reason for his increased usage at the dish has been his production, as one could imagine. Through 31 team games, Rojas was batting .338 with a .389 on-base percentage, which helped him to produce at a clip of ten percent above league average, compared to his mark last year which was 38 percent below.
His walk rate had increased from 5.1% a year ago to 8.2% this season, and his strikeout rate had taken a slight dip as well.
With jack-of-all-trades Rojas down for an undetermined amount of time, MLB Trade Rumors believes that the Miami Marlins will be forced to rely upon rookie J.T. Riddle a bit more than they were hoping, with Martin Prado also heading back to the disabled list. Riddle has started off his Major League career 2-for-14 (.143) in his one week of action in the middle of April before being sent back down to play for the Triple-A New Orleans Baby Cakes. Well, he has been called back up.
In their Prospect Handbook, Baseball America ranked Riddle as the Marlins' #21 prospect, while Miami is widely reared as having one of the worst farm systems in baseball. They say of Riddle, "His ability to play multiple positions and his propensity for contact portend a useful utility career. Riddle receives high marks for his leadership and makeup."
So far in New Orleans this season Riddle is batting .290 with a .302 OBP, one home run and three driven in. Like Rojas, he's not known for the pop in his bat, clubbing 20 dingers in his first three pro seasons combined, but his versatility could end up being the difference between the Marlins competing for a wild card spot and being out of contention early.
The other big question for Miami to answer will be who will don the monkey mask during post game celebrations? The honor has been Rojas', but with him on the shelf does he bequeath that honor to another? Only time will tell.
