It was a little over two years ago that Dodgers third baseman Luis Cruz burst onto the scene and quickly stole the hearts of Dodger fans. Cruz, with his boyish charm and infectious smile, had everything going for him – he was an above average defender who seemingly came up with a game-changing play or a clutch base hit almost every night. Not only had Cruz become an overnight success and huge fan favorite, he reunited L.A.’s large Mexican community in a way not seen since the days of Fernandomania. Cruz had, in every way, won the everyday third base job in the last half of the 2012 season with an impressive triple slash of .297/.322/.431 in 296 plate appearances, and heading into the 2013 season the job was his to lose.

…and he did just that.

After a hot start in spring training 2013, Cruz immediately began to struggle when the regular season began and by July 1 he was gone – not just optioned-back-to-Triple-A gone but designated-for-assignment gone, as in no longer in the Dodgers organization. It was one of the worst falls from grace in recent memory and it broke the hearts of thousands of Dodger fans.

Luis Cruz’s fall from grace was a tremendous blow to Dodger fans, who absolutely loved him. (Photo credit – Jennifer Hilderbrand)

But baseball is a very fickle game. It has a way of breaking and then mending your heart, and then the cycle repeats itself over and over again. It has been this way throughout its 145-year history.

As they have done for the past several years, the Dodgers held their annual Winter Development Camp this past January at Dodger Stadium. Comprised of many of the Dodgers top minor league prospects, one of those invited to the 2014 Winter Development Camp was (then) 24-year-old Los Teques, Venezuela native Miguel Rojas.

Rojas was originally signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent in 2006 and spent the first six of his seven professional seasons below the Triple-A level. In 2012 the Reds promoted him to Triple-A Louisville but did not re-sign him at the conclusion of the season when he again became a free agent. Somewhere along the way he was spotted by the Dodgers scouting staff and was signed by the Dodgers.

Rojas spent the entire 2013 season at Double-A Chattanooga and during the off-season the Dodgers re-signed him to a minor league contract for 2014. Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti liked what he saw in Rojas at Chattanooga and during Winter Development Camp.

“Miguel Rojas will get a good look,” said Colletti during a January 8, 2014 press conference. “Miguel Rojas is an excellent defensive player. He’s played more shortstop than he has anyplace else but we’re expanding that, not only expanding this week [at Winter Development Camp] but we’ll continue to expand in the spring. I think he’s game for the situation, I think he wants the opportunity and we’re going to give him that chance.”

Rojas was indeed given a chance after receiving an invitation to big league spring training camp where he played 12 games at shortstop, nine games at third base and three games at second base. And even though he committed three errors at short, he was error-free at second and third base. Offensively Rojas was off the charts during spring training where he went 12 for 31 (.387) with a .441 OBP and .452 SLG for an impressive .893 OPS. And while spring training numbers are (and should be) taken with a grain of salt, they tend to show a players potential.

Rojas began the 2014 season at Triple-A Albuquerque, where he continued to do well offensively (.302/.353/.434/.787); however, it was once again his defense that kept him in the spotlight. In his combined 47 games with the Isotopes (eight at second base, 16 at third base and 23 at shortstop) Rojas committed only one error (at second base) in a combined 173 chances for an outstanding .994 fielding percentage. It was this that led to his June 6, 2014 call-up to the Dodgers to replace a struggling Erisbel Arruebarrena.

Although Rojas hasn’t put up overwhelming offensive numbers in the 18 games in which he has appeared thus far with the Dodgers (he’s 11 for 41 for a .268 batting average), he has been absolutely brilliant defensively. And even though he committed an error on the very first ball hit to him in his major league debut at shortstop, he hasn’t committed another since. Without question his greatest defensive play (thus far) was on a hot grounder off of the bat of Troy Tulowitzki down the third base line that Rojas fielded cleanly and made a perfect throw to first base to preserve Clayton Kershaw’s June 18 no-hitter. Since that time Rojas has made several more outstanding defensive plays (primarily at shortstop) and has quickly established himself as a top-tier big league infielder.

There is zero doubt that Miguel Rojas saved Clayton Kershaw’s no-hitter with this brilliant play at third base. (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

With a very good chance that Hanley Ramirez will end up on the disabled list at some point (perhaps as early as today), Rojas could very well become the Dodgers everyday shortstop. And while Rojas is no Hanley when it comes to hitting, his glove has already saved and will most likely continue to save games for the Dodgers.