Miguel Rojas Bio
Miguel Elias Rojas Naidenoff, born on February 24, 1989, is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). A longtime shortstop and utility defender, Rojas has built a reputation across the league for steady glove work, clubhouse leadership, and timely hitting in high-pressure moments. In 2025, he became the first player in MLB history to hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning or later of a World Series Game 7, a feat that helped cement his place among the sport’s clutch postseason performers.
Early Life and Background
Miguel Elias Rojas Naidenoff was born on February 24, 1989, and grew up in Venezuela, where baseball has long been woven into daily life. From a young age, he developed his game in a country that produced many of the sport’s most recognizable big leaguers, and that environment shaped his path toward professional competition. As an amateur, Rojas attracted the attention of Major League scouts with his glove and his feel for the game, and in 2006, the Cincinnati Reds signed him as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela.
Path to Baseball
Rojas began his professional career in the Reds’ international development system, playing in the Venezuelan Summer League and Dominican Summer League through 2007. In 2008, Cincinnati moved him to its domestic affiliate in the rookie-class Pioneer Baseball League, where he hit .183 across 61 games. The Reds continued to push him up the ladder, assigning Rojas to the Class-A Dayton Dragons in 2009, the Advanced-A Lynchburg Hillcats in 2010, and the Double-A Carolina Mudcats in 2010 and 2011. By 2012, he had reached the upper levels of the system, splitting that year between the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos and the Triple-A Louisville Bats.
Miguel Rojas Career
Early Career (2006–2012)
During his six years in the Cincinnati Reds’ organization, Rojas worked his way from short-season leagues to Triple-A, sharpening the defensive skills that would later define his big-league profile. He hit .183 in 61 games at the Pioneer Baseball League level in 2008 before steadily improving his offensive production at each subsequent stop. By the end of 2012, he had established himself as a reliable middle-infield prospect, although he had not yet reached the major leagues with Cincinnati.
Los Angeles Dodgers First Stint (2013–2014)
After the 2012 season, Rojas became a free agent and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He spent the 2013 season with the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern League, hitting .233 in 130 games. In 2014, he received a non-roster invite to Major League spring training, where he was given a chance to compete for the vacant second base job. The Dodgers assigned him to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes to start 2014, where he hit .302 in 51 games.
The Dodgers promoted Rojas to the major leagues for the first time on June 6, 2014, and he made his major league debut that day as a late-inning defensive replacement. His first hit was a single off Matt Belisle of the Colorado Rockies in his first start on June 8. He finished the 2014 regular season hitting .181 with one home run and nine runs batted in across 85 games, frequently taking over for Hanley Ramírez at shortstop late in games for defensive purposes. On June 18, he made an extremely difficult defensive play in the seventh inning to preserve a no-hitter thrown by Clayton Kershaw.
Miami Marlins (2014–2022)
On December 10, 2014, the Dodgers traded Rojas, along with Dee Gordon and Dan Haren, to the Miami Marlins in exchange for Andrew Heaney, Chris Hatcher, Austin Barnes, and Enrique “Kiké” Hernández. In 2015, Rojas batted .282 with one home run and 17 runs batted in across 142 at-bats in 60 games, earning him more playing time the following season. In 2016, he appeared in 123 games, slashing .247/.288/.325 with one home run and 14 runs batted in.
In 2017, Rojas missed 62 games due to a broken thumb, but still appeared in 90 games, hitting for a .290/.361/.375 batting line in 272 at-bats with one home run and 26 runs batted in. He also led all National League shortstops in September and October with a .354 batting average and .948 on-base plus slugging average. In 2018, Rojas set career highs in nearly every offensive category, including games played (153), runs (44), hits (123), home runs (11), runs batted in (53), and stolen bases (6). In 2019, he batted .284/.331/.379, and on September 23, 2019, he agreed to a new two-year contract with the Marlins worth $10.25 million.
Rojas continued to play a key role for Miami, reaching new offensive heights in 2020 with a career-best .304/.392/.496 line, four home runs, and 20 runs batted in. In 2021, he played in 132 games, collecting 131 hits, 48 runs batted in, 13 stolen bases, and a career-high 37 walks. On October 28, 2021, the Marlins signed Rojas to a two-year contract extension worth $10 million. On October 3, 2022, the team announced that Rojas would undergo wrist surgery to repair a torn triangular fibrocartilage complex in his right wrist, followed by an additional procedure in January 2023.
Los Angeles Dodgers Second Stint (2023–2025)
On January 11, 2023, Rojas was traded back to the Dodgers in exchange for Jacob Amaya. On February 4, 2023, the Dodgers announced a contract extension that would pay him $5 million for 2024 and included a $5 million club option for 2025. While initially expected to be a utility player, Rojas became the starting shortstop when Gavin Lux went down with a season-ending knee injury in spring training. He played in 124 games, batting .236, and had two hits in six at-bats in the 2023 National League Division Series (NLDS).
Lux returned in 2024, but moved to second base while Mookie Betts took over at shortstop, leaving Rojas as a utility player to start the season before returning to short when Betts was hurt at midseason. He went on the injured list at the end of July with right forearm inflammation and returned on August 7. He remained in the lineup until tearing his adductor muscle in late September. For the season, Rojas batted .283 in 103 games. The team voted Rojas the winner of the Roy Campanella Award, which exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late Hall of Fame catcher. He started at shortstop for the Dodgers to begin the 2024 NLDS, and had two hits in eight at-bats over the first three games of the series before aggravating a leg injury that kept him out of the rest of the series. Rojas returned to the roster for the 2024 World Series, and he collected his first World Series championship when the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in five games. After the season, the Dodgers picked up his contract option for 2025.
Rojas switched his jersey number from 11 to 72, the number he first wore as a rookie with the team, as part of the team’s pursuit of Roki Sasaki. He played in 114 games for the Dodgers in 2025, batting .262 with seven home runs and 27 runs batted in, splitting his time across second base, third base, and shortstop. After the 2025 National League Division Series (NLDS), Rojas announced he would retire from professional baseball following the 2026 season. In Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, with the Dodgers down by one and only two outs remaining in the top of the ninth inning, Rojas hit a game-tying home run off of Jeff Hoffman. The home run had a 34.91% Championship Win Probability Added (CWPA), making it the most impactful single-game-tying home run in the ninth inning or later in World Series history. The Dodgers won the deciding game in the eleventh inning. On December 5, 2025, the Dodgers re-signed Rojas to a one-year, $5.5 million contract, and he announced that it would be his final season as a player before moving into a front office role with the team.
Driving Style and Strengths
Rojas has built his career on dependable middle-infield defense, smart baserunning, and the ability to deliver contact in situational spots. His glove work at shortstop and second base has repeatedly drawn praise, including his standout stop that helped preserve a Clayton Kershaw no-hitter in 2014, and his veteran instincts made him a steadying presence for young infielders in both the Miami and Los Angeles clubhouses.
Notable Events and Milestones
Rojas owns one of the most memorable moments in recent World Series history, hitting a game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 7 in 2025 to become the first player in MLB history to accomplish that feat. He also earned his first World Series championship with the Dodgers in 2024 and won the Roy Campanella Award that same year for his leadership in the Los Angeles clubhouse.
Miguel Rojas Career Wins
Miguel Elias Rojas Naidenoff has recorded notable performances across the Major Leagues and at the top of the Cincinnati Reds’ farm system, with most of his offensive highlights coming during his years in Miami. While he is best known for his defensive contributions and postseason moments, his offensive peaks include career highs of 11 home runs and 53 runs batted in during the 2018 season, and a .304/.392/.496 slash line in the 2020 campaign. He also collected his first World Series championship ring with the 2024 Dodgers.
Miguel Rojas Family
Personal Life
Rojas is a Venezuelan national whose professional journey began in his home country before he established himself in Major League Baseball. He has maintained a public presence through his “Miggy’s Locker” brand, a custom-cleat partnership he launched with Stadium Custom Kicks in 2020 that reflects his passion for shoes and basketball. Rojas has built much of his adult life around the baseball calendar, spending offseasons with Tiburones de La Guaira in the Venezuelan Winter League, including a 2012 Caribbean Series appearance.
2025 Season Performance
Rojas’s 2025 campaign reflected the versatility that has defined his career, as he moved between shortstop, second base, and third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played in 114 games, batting .262 with seven home runs and 27 runs batted in while providing a steady veteran presence around younger infielders. After the 2025 National League Division Series, Rojas announced that he would retire from professional baseball following the 2026 season.
His 2025 postseason cemented his reputation as one of the game’s most reliable late-stage performers. After not playing in the first five games of the World Series, Rojas was inserted into the starting lineup for Games 6 and 7, and his game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 7 off Jeff Hoffman made him the first player in MLB history to hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning or later of a World Series Game 7. He also made a critical defensive stop in the bottom of the ninth to prevent a series-winning run, helping the Dodgers capture the championship in the eleventh inning. On December 5, 2025, the Dodgers re-signed him to a one-year, $5.5 million contract for his final season, with plans for him to transition into a front office role afterward.