Miguel Vargas was expected to be a fixture with the Los Angeles Dodgers when given an everyday opportunity last season, but things did not go as planned.
Vargas suffered a fracture in his pinky during Spring Training, and was also hit on his thumb when he returned to the lineup. It seemed he was never fully able to get on track after dealing with the hand injuries, and he struggled until losing his starting job with the Dodgers.
Vargas batted just .195/.305/.367 in 81 games during his rookie season before he was optioned to Triple-A. Vargas opened the 2024 season in the Minor Leagues as well.
Now, it appears Vargas will get another chance with the Dodgers as he is being recalled from Triple-A, according to Francys Romero:
The Dodgers are calling up Cuban OF/INF Miguel Vargas (24), per sources.
No word yet on whether he will be activated today or what the official move will be. pic.twitter.com/Q7Z9uTU23f
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) May 17, 2024
The decision to call up Vargas was confirmed by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.
After his struggles last season, Vargas admitted he lost confidence in himself, but also believes it made him a stronger person looking back.
Vargas has been tearing the cover off the ball in Triple-A this season, hitting .295/.436/.583 with a 149 wRC+, and he’s walked more than he’s struck out with an 18.8% walk rate compared to a 16.6% strikeout rate.
After playing second base last year, and working at the corner infield for most of his career, Vargas has been playing left field this season with Oklahoma City.
It’s unclear where he will play with the Dodgers, but it may be dependent on an injury or the corresponding move. The Dodgers will already need to make a roster decision once Jason Heyward returns, so the timing of the callup is a curious one.
Miguel Vargas became U.S. Citizen
Vargas missed time earlier in the year, but it was for a positive reason as he was taking his United States citizenship test, which he passed.
Becoming a U.S. citizen is an incredible achievement and it is deserving of huge congratulations. The test is a challenging one that takes a lot of studying and work to achieve.
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