Miguel Rojas and the Dodgers Share an Emotional Farewell Against the Blue Jays

Dodgers Infielder Miguel Rojas Reflects on Father’s Sudden Passing

Miguel Rojas, an infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, received heartbreaking news just 40 minutes before the team’s Tuesday game against the Toronto Blue Jays: his father, Miguel “Micky” Rojas, had been rushed to the hospital. Earlier that day, Micky had shared a photo of himself, excitedly watching the game from home.

As Rojas geared up for the game, he began receiving calls and texts from family members. “There’s nothing I could do being this far,” he stated prior to Wednesday’s game, a 4-3 loss against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. “Just support my family, and trying to understand a little bit of what’s going on. I found out that my dad, on the way to the hospital, passed away. He couldn’t live through the heart attack that he had. So it was suddenly that he passed away; he was feeling good. Really hard to understand. I’m still trying to process the whole thing.”

Micky Rojas’ funeral was scheduled for Wednesday, but logistical challenges made travel back to Venezuela difficult for Rojas, who would have had to navigate through the U.S. on a tight schedule. “That’s how they do things in Venezuela,” he explained regarding the prompt timing of the funeral. “It happens quick because they have to. They don’t have many places to hold these funerals.”

Rojas intended to return to Los Angeles with the team before deciding whether to travel to Venezuela to support his family. “That hasn’t been decided yet,” he commented. “But the most important part for me today was showing up and playing, and then after that, I’ll be a family man on the off day and see what’s the best way to do things after that.”