ST. LOUIS — Miguel Rojas recalls it as the darkest point of his career.
“I was in such a bad place mentally,” he said during a recent conversation with The Athletic. “Especially because I knew I was on the back end of my career, and I didn’t know how much longer I could play for.”
It was the end of May last season, and the Los Angeles Dodgers were well above .500, but difficult decisions were being made. An organization lauded for its loyalty had cut ties with two long-time clubhouse staples to make way for newer players. Austin Barnes, who had spent his 11 big-league seasons with the Dodgers, was designated for assignment when the club elected to call up top prospect Dalton Rushing. A few days later, Chris Taylor, who had been with the team since 2016, was DFA’d when it came time to activate Tommy Edman off the injured list.
Rojas, underperforming and relegated to a 26-man role, figured he was next.
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“There are the things that start creeping into your mind when you’re trying to decide if you’re still good enough to play baseball at the highest level,” Rojas said. “I didn’t want anyone to take that (decision) from me.”
The Dodgers continued to stack up wins, but the San Diego Padres were lurking just behind in the division standings. Each game felt heavily scrutinized, even for early June. But Rojas was trapped in a negative mindset, demonstrating a sullenness uncharacteristic of the nurturing, supportive presence his Dodger teammates had come to expect. He began to retreat, secluding himself from the clubhouse.
It didn’t go unnoticed. A veteran teammate could see the trouble brewing below the surface.
On June 5 of last season, the Dodgers departed Los Angeles for a three-game stint in St. Louis against the Cardinals. When the team arrived at its hotel in Clayton, Mo., Kiké Hernández extended an invitation: pour a drink. I’ll come to your room and let’s talk some things out.
The two spent the next few hours on Rojas’ balcony. Several drinks were had, several tears were shed. When Hernández endured a similar experience in 2024, it was Rojas who stepped in with support. Hernández knew it was time to return the favor.
“I wanted to change the mentality, because if he didn’t, he was going to be on the way out,” Hernández explained. “Not because it was going to happen, but because he was going to do that to himself. I basically told him, ‘I’ve been where you are right now, and it’s not a good way to live. If you put a stop to it, and you say the season starts tomorrow and that’s the mentality you bring in each and every day, you’re going to be much more enjoyable.'”
Rojas put it a little less eloquently: “He told me to get my s— right.”
But Rojas took what Hernández said to heart. Shortly after the World Series, he opened up publicly for the first time about that talk on the balcony. Ten months later, he believes that conversation with his teammate saved his career.
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The Dodgers (20-11) return to St. Louis for a three-game series against the Cardinals (18-13) starting Friday. Rojas isn’t questioning anything anymore. He approached the rest of last season with a better understanding of his role as a mentor. Then, with the Dodgers two outs from losing the World Series, he hit one of the most impactful home runs in the franchise’s storied history. Rojas was guaranteed the highest annual average value of his career (a one-year, $5.5 million deal) to return to the Dodgers for one more season, in the same role he once doubted his worth in. He’s left the door open for a slim, but possible, chance of playing in 2027 — but only if the Dodgers three-peat, he said.
“We talk a lot about things getting worse before they get better,” Rojas said. “Now I understand. I got to the point where this year is more of I know my role, I know when I’m going to be playing, I know who I’m going to be facing.”
“At the end of the day, it’s not about me. It’s about the team. And I couldn’t really care less about what I do this season, I just care how the organization is doing.”
MIGUEL ROJAS TIE GAME! #WORLDSERIES pic.twitter.com/1hDBIhVLS8
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 2, 2025
In his final guaranteed season, Rojas’ experience has been especially beneficial. When Mookie Betts landed on the IL just over a week into the season, the Dodgers handed the reins to Alex Freeland to take over second base full-time and platooned Hyeseong Kim at shortstop, with Rojas backing Kim up against left-handed pitching. Part of the reason the Dodgers felt comfortable platooning their middle infield is Rojas. His assistance behind the scenes — whether in hitters’ meetings, during early work on the infield or even from the bench during games — brings a different layer of perspective, one not even coaches or support staff can provide.
Rojas’ ability to connect with younger, less-experienced players is instrumental to the Dodgers’ clubhouse culture. His ability to embrace that role has made it so. When the Dodgers were discussing the possibility of bringing him back over the offseason, his mentorship was a firm part of the equation.
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Before signing his contract, Rojas accepted that he’d likely play even less than he did last season, when he had just 317 plate appearances. He didn’t care. Rojas only wanted to play for the Dodgers, and he’d do so in whatever capacity needed.
He wouldn’t have gotten there without Hernández, whom he called an “angel” at the time.
“He made me stop thinking about worst-case scenarios and the worst circumstances that could happen and made me enjoy every single moment that I have without thinking if it was going to be my last game, or if I was going to be called into the office after the game,” Rojas said. “And I think that’s really what changed me. I changed my mindset coming to the ballpark every day. And I wasn’t thinking about the negative stuff anymore.”
Now, all Rojas thinks about is getting back to the World Series. It’s been 26 years since an MLB team won three consecutive championships. No National League team has ever accomplished the feat. The Dodgers have repeatedly declared their intent to be the first.
Rojas knows how unique this is: a team of global superstars, the Dodgers’ dynasty run, a potential lockout looming. But after fearing he’d lose it all, Rojas treasures now more than ever the opportunity to be in the league and to have final say on how his 13-year major-league career will end.
“The challenge for me is to just finish the best way possible and end on my own terms,” he said. “Being able to come back to the Dodgers, signing the biggest contract I’ve ever signed, it makes me feel really proud and happy that I can say I’m leaving the game when I really decided to.”
