Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES, CA — Now, things start to get a bit dicey. After locking Freddie Freeman into the lineup as our everyday first baseman, the rest of the infield is just a great big question mark right now. With the exits of Justin Turner and Trea Turner, and the injury to Gavin Lux, suddenly the Dodgers don’t seem to be sitting nearly as pretty as they were a year ago. That won’t be any clearer to see than at second base, where the position, to my mind, is pretty much up for grabs. Let’s take a look at the options that manager Dave Roberts has at that position.
Miguel Vargas (2022 [AAA]: .304/.404./.511 17 HR)
Surely, the leader out of the gate is highly-touted prospect Miguel Vargas. After burning up the minors in 2022, Vargas had a brief taste of the Show in the second half of last season. Mixed results, at best. He hit .170 with one homer in 47 big-league at-bats. And his little adventure in left field is probably best not discussed. However, that was then, and this is now. With the aforementioned attrition, the position is basically Miguel’s for the taking. Let’s hope the kid is ready for the spotlight, because it’s coming in bright this year.
Miguel Rojas (2022 [MIA]: .236/.283/.606, 6 HR)
Veteran Miguel Rojas, who broke in with the Dodgers way back in 2014, is back for another go-round with the team. And this offseason acquisition will be critical going forward this year. He’s probably more likely to see time at short than at second, though, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he turns up on the right side of the diamond from time to time. The good news is that the former Miami Marlin is off to a pretty decent start in Spring Training, and I’m sure that the Dodgers will find a place for this vet in the mix in 2023. Only problem is, he was expected to be the 2023 version of Hanser Alberto this year, not of Gavin Lux. Keep our fingers crossed, and we’ll see how it goes.
Other options
You might see Max Muncy playing second occasionally, but I think Doc has him pegged to play more reps at third base this year. Chris Taylor is another option, but I’m guessing he’ll be needed to shore up the depleted outfield. As for youngsters, I really like Michael Busch, but I’m not sure we’ll see much of him at the big-league level this year. Jorbit Vivas plays middle infield as well, but he is even less experienced than Busch. Plus, there’s a certain character named Betts who’s been known to play a little second.
So where does that leave the club? Hopefully, Miguel Vargas breaks out and has a great rookie campaign, but I’m not going to hold my breath. Bottom line, it feels like Andrew Friedman needs to make a move and get a middle infielder into this mix, stat.
DODGERSBEAT RATING: C-
