The final time Miguel Rojas suited up for the Dodgers, he wore quantity 72 as a 25-year-old rookie in 2014. He was the primary participant ever to put on 72 in Dodger blue, and he’s nonetheless considered one of solely two — Travis d’Arnaud additionally wore 72 for his one plate appearances in 2019.
Rojas gained’t be carrying 72 in 2023, although. He wore quantity 19 for his first seven seasons with the Marlins, however he switched to quantity 11 final yr and just lately confirmed he’ll be carrying 11 in Los Angeles this yr.
The rationale Rojas switched to quantity 11 could be very particular:
A few yr in the past, Rojas’s mom misplaced her battle with most cancers, and the identical week, his grandfather handed away. His grandpa had been the primary one to instill in him a love of baseball, and the quantity Rojas wore throughout that point was 11. So Miguel selected to return to his childhood quantity to honor the passing of his grandpa.
Rojas advised Chris Rose final yr that he thought his grandpa was a superhero, so his passing got here as a shock to Miguel.
The quantity 11 has been worn fairly constantly on the Dodgers over the previous decade, most just lately by Kevin Pillar in 2022. It was the variety of Dodgers icon Manny Mota throughout his enjoying profession, and Mota continued to put on it throughout his teaching profession with Los Angeles. Mota’s teaching profession ended after 2013, and in 2014, Erisbel Arruebarrena turned the primary Dodgers participant to put on the quantity since Mota in 1972. Since then, not less than one Dodger has worn the quantity yearly, together with Jimmy Rollins, Micah Johnson, Josh Reddick, Logan Forsythe, AJ Pollock, and Pillar.
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