Dodgers News: Miguel Vargas Gets Words of Encouragement Before Being Shipped to AAA

The Dodgers hope Miguel Vargas can earn his way back in LA soon.

It's been an unexpected journey for Miguel Vargas since being named the Dodgers' second baseman before spring training. After starting the season slowly, his offense cratered and he found himself losing playing time to Mookie Betts on the infield. As the all-star break approached the writing was on the wall that his days in big leagues may be numbered.

After the first half finale, the Dodgers optioned him to Triple-A

Recently, manager Dave Roberts talked about his expectations with Vargas and shared a bit of his messaging to the 23-year-old before he was shipped out to Oklahoma City.

What was Dave Roberts message to Miguel Vargas when the team demoted him last week?

"We still believe in him. But every path for young players isn’t linear and that’s okay. Go down there, catch your breath and come back and help us."

— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) July 15, 2023

Something seemed off with the rookie at the plate through parts of the season. His approach seemingly had changed from what made him one of the better hitters at the minor league level for the club over the last few seasons.

Internally, there is some concern that a finger injury suffered during spring training led to some poor habits at the plate. The hope is, a few weeks spent away from the pressures of the big league spotlight can help get Vargas back on track.

"We didn't lose faith in him. I thought this was the right thing for him," Roberts stated. "The injury and the struggle to find his swing didn't help. It sped up on him."

He's 2 for 8 since joining the AAA team, collecting an impressive 6 walks in 15 plate appearances.