ATLANTA –– The Dodgers will be playing a man short for Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Wednesday.
According to manager Dave Roberts, veteran infielder Miguel Rojas will not be available for the team’s potential NLDS clincher, after leaving Game 3 early on Tuesday with lower back pain.
“[He’s feeling] not great,” Roberts said. “Back’s sore. Laying low … So we’re going to kick this one to another day.”
For now, the Dodgers do not appear to be considering a roster move. Roberts said the team is hopeful his injury will improve in the coming days. And if they were to replace him on the roster now, he would be ineligible to play in a potential NL Championship Series.
“To make any decisions that would compromise his status for a potential next series doesn’t make sense,” Roberts said.
Rojas tweaked his back while fielding a ground ball in the fifth inning on Tuesday night, then left the game after showing visible signs of pain on a swing in the eighth inning.
Rojas had started each of the last two games for the Dodgers, inserted into the lineup as an extra right-handed bat against a pair of left-handed starters from the Braves.
After Tuesday’s game, Rojas downplayed the severity of his injury, sounding hopeful he would be available to play in Game 4.
Instead, the Dodgers will be down a man on their bench, leaving switch-hitting utility player Tommy Edman, left-handed-hitting rookie Josue De Paula, left-handed-hitting backup catcher Hunter Feduccia, and baserunning/defensive specialist Hyeseong Kim as their pinch-hitting options as they try to close out the best-of-five series.
