Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas revealed on his Instagram about the passing of his father on Tuesday, April 7. Miguel Rojas Sr. “Micky” passed away unexpectedly after a heart attack.
Before Tuesday night’s game, Rojas spoke to his father on the phone, and 40 minutes before the first pitch, he received a call from his family. They said that they had to rush Rojas Sr. to the hospital, and unfortunately, he did not survive the heart attack.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believed the 37-year-old would take a leave to be with his family, but ultimately left the decision in his hands. Rojas was present for the series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays and noted that it was something his father would have wanted him to do, too.
•
“It’s really hard to understand everything right now. It’s tough. But it’s life. At some point, we are all going to have to go through it. I don’t really want to be a distraction. That’s why I’m here, I’m dressed, and I’m ready to play.”
“It’s going to be emotional, yes, for me. I understand that. But I’ve been through moments like this before with my mom, my grandparents. I know what they want me to do is play baseball.”
On social media, Miguel Rojas penned an emotional message to his late father,
“With immense pain on the part of the whole Rojas family, today I have to let you know everyone who had the opportunity to meet and share with my father Miguel Rojas “Micky” who yesterday, April 7, died suddenly in the afternoon hours.”
“I want to sincerely thank everyone who has reached out to me and my entire family to show their love and let us know how loved my dad was throughout his life. May God receive him in his glory and rest in peace. 💔”
“You left dad and what hurts me the most is that I didn’t get to say goodbye😢😢”
Rojas recalled his favorite memories of his father and said it was how “he lived baseball through me.” Since his father couldn’t travel to the States to watch his games, the Dodgers infielder would visit him every offseason and play for the Tiburones de la Guaira.
Shohei Ohtani sends a message after Miguel Rojas’ father passes away
Miguel Rojas returned for Wednesday’s game against their World Series rival, the Toronto Blue Jays, following a day off. Following the passing away of Rojas Sr., Shohei Ohtani said that the whole team has got his back and is ready to support Rojas however necessary.
“I’m sure it’s been a tough day for Miggy. He showed up today, made some really good plays. We just want to make sure that he’s well-supported.”
To honor Rojas Sr., all the Los Angeles Dodgers players wore a cap with the initials “MR” on its side. This was similar to how they wore “51” on their caps beside the World Series logo to support Alex Vesia and his wife, Kayla, after they lost their daughter, Sterling Sol Vesia.
Edited by Brad Taningco