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Josh Rojas Speaks on Whirlwind of a Debut for Royals
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- Josh Rojas Speaks on Whirlwind of a Debut for Royals
Josh Rojas Speaks on Whirlwind of a Debut for Royals
(© Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images)
Rojas was awesome in his Royals debut.
Josh Rojas had already played a full game, missed a flight and sat in an airport for hours before he even arrived at Target Field on Thursday night.
Most players would have been drained by that point, but Rojas looked anything but tired when his number got called.
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The 31-year-old was called up from Triple-A Omaha earlier in the day and made the trip to Minneapolis just in time to pinch-hit in a tied game in the ninth inning, where he came through with a go-ahead two-run single to give Kansas City an 8-6 win over the Minnesota Twins.
Rojas had started the day in an Omaha Storm Chasers uniform, going 1-for-3 with a double against Columbus before receiving the news.
He left that game in the fifth inning, headed to the airport and missed his original flight before eventually catching a second one to Minneapolis.
A rain delay pushed the Twins game back long enough for Rojas to arrive around the eighth inning, and manager Matt Quatraro put him right to work.
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Rojas Felt Ready Despite the Chaos
With the bases loaded, one out and the score knotted at six in the top of the ninth, Rojas stepped in and lined a single through the middle on a 3-1 count.
After the game, he admitted that the hectic day might have actually helped him settle in.
"I think I would have been a little more stressed [getting here] if I hadn't played a game yet today," Rojas said. "But I'd already done all my activation. I played a game. I did sit at the airport for a while, but I still felt pretty good. It didn't feel like I had just woken up out of bed. Obviously, the adrenaline of being in the big leagues, I felt really good just stepping out there."
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Why Rojas Could Be a Key Piece Going Forward
The Royals sit at 25-39 and in last place in the AL Central, and they need help wherever they can find it.
With Jonathan India done for the year following shoulder surgery and Maikel Garcia missing time with a hamstring issue , Kansas City's infield depth has been tested all season.
Rojas gives them a veteran presence who has played every position except center field and catcher across 638 career games with the Diamondbacks, Mariners and White Sox.
His best season came back in 2022 with Arizona, when he hit .269 and posted 3.1 rWAR across 125 games.
Last year in Chicago was tough at .180 in 69 games, but he showed signs of finding his swing again at Triple-A this year, batting .246 with six homers in 48 games before getting the call.
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The Royals brought him in on a minor league deal this offseason hoping he could fill some gaps, and his debut was a moment this team badly needed during a difficult stretch.
Kansas City isn't going to flip its season around overnight, but finding a guy who walks in the door and delivers right away says plenty about what Rojas can bring to this roster moving forward.
