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Dodgers’ Miguel Vargas might have learned value of not swinging

April 2, 2023

LOS ANGELES – Miguel Vargas has never been much of a walker.

During his four seasons in the Dodgers’ minor-league system, he drew one walk for every 10 plate appearances. In his first taste of the big leagues last season, he walked just twice in 50 plate appearances.

Then he had to stop swinging after suffering a hairline fracture in his right pinkie this spring. Like a bite from a radioactive spider, that injury seems to have given Vargas a new superpower – or at least a greater appreciation for plate discipline.

“Yeah, for sure. It makes me be more patient at the plate. I saw more pitches,” Vargas said of playing his first handful of Cactus League games this spring while being prohibited from swinging the bat.

“I’m still going to do that (be an aggressive hitter). But they’re not pitching me strikes sometimes.”

Even though it was no secret that he wouldn’t be swinging in those early Cactus League games, Vargas was walked four times in his first eight plate appearances and five times in his first 12. Since then, the walks have continued to pile up – four more in 39 plate appearances after he began swinging this spring, five in the first two games of the regular season and two more in his first three times up Saturday, taking over the MLB lead with seven in the first three games.

That is the most walks in the first three games of a season by a Dodgers player since at least 1901, according to MLB statistician Sarah Langs.

“I think there’s a combo of, early on Miguel was forced to just take and see the baseball, taking some walks. That’s one part of it,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think the other part of it is he got his feet wet (at the big-league level) so he’s just more not ‘hair-on-fire’ in the batter’s box.

“He’s a smart baseball player. He swung the bat more, didn’t walk as much in the minors. But I think he understands the value of 90 feet, taking walks, swinging at strikes and taking balls. I think that combo has led to that.”

BIG SCREEN TIME

When left-hander Julio Urias started for the Dodgers on Opening Day, it was such big news in his native Mexico that the game was shown on a giant screen at the World Trade Center in Mexico City, drawing crowds to watch the left-hander from Culiacan.

“I saw it on the news,” Urias said. “I had no idea (they were going to do that).”

Urias said Team Mexico’s games during the World Baseball Classic were also shown in Mexico City like that. He didn’t know if the rest of his starts for the Dodgers this year will get the big-screen treatment.

“I hope they do it for the other Mexican players (in the majors),” Urias said. “Soccer is No. 1 in Mexico. Growing up, my dad never watched baseball. It was always soccer. I hope this way we can grow the game of baseball in Mexico.”

LEFTY LINEUP

The Dodgers faced their first left-handed starting pitcher of the season Saturday when the Diamondbacks sent Madison Bumgarner to the mound. That meant a different Dodgers lineup including first starts for Chris Taylor, Trayce Thompson and Austin Barnes. In the middle of the order, JD Martinez and Max Muncy swapped places with Martinez batting third.

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Martinez had an RBI single on Opening Night but was 1 for his first 9 with five strikeouts to start the year after striking out in his first at-bat against Bumgarner Saturday.

“He’s still trying to work through some things,” Roberts said of Martinez. “He’s a very mechanical type player and does a lot of studying. So if there’s guys he doesn’t know, I think that’s something that is a little bit of a challenge. As he gets to know pitchers more and gets more familiarity, he’ll be better suited.

“So if you look at these first couple games, there’s some guys he wasn’t familiar with. Not to make any excuses for JD. But he’s still gathering information and working through some mechanical things.”

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks (RHP Zach Davies, 2-5, 4.09 ERA in 2022) at Dodgers (RHP Noah Syndergaard, 10-10, 3.94 ERA in 2022), Sunday, 1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM

Orange County Register

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Dodgers’ Miguel Vargas might have learned value of not swinging

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