Miguel Rojas recently hurt his hip, and it completely changed how he looks at his future. The Dodgers’ shortstop used to say he would put off retirement if LA won another World Series. But after this latest injury scare, he is putting his health first. If he signs an extension, it will be because his body can hold up, not just because he wants another ring.

“At the end of the day, you’ve got to know if you’re healthy, if your body is going to hold off for another year, if the team accomplished what they want to accomplish. And obviously, if the team wants you back,” Rojas spoke candidly during a 97.1 The Fan LA podcast recently. 

The 37-year-old signed a 1-year, $5.5 million extension with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December. He had announced that 2026 would be his last year as a player. And he had already started working with the front office regarding player development. However, in early May, Rojas explained that he might be willing to go for even another year if the Dodgers bag the World Series again. 

“I started thinking about, ‘You know what, this is a real possibility of making a deep run and winning another championship,’” he told Ken Rosenthal. “And then what’s gonna happen? I can’t really go home with the opportunity to do something legendary, trying to go four in a row.”

However, his mindset has now completely shifted. The hosts, Doug “D-Mac” McKain and Bill Reiter, asked Miguel if he and the Dodgers would like to run it back. That’s when Rojas said that his physical health is the deciding factor. That’s a major change in direction, as he had earlier put his family as the driving force for his retirement plan. In fact, he seemed pretty confident with his durability and claimed that he could easily “play shortstop for 100 games.”

“But it’s bigger than that. I’m family-oriented,” Rojas had said. 

The reality of playing a tough position like shortstop at 37 is finally catching up to him. Most MLB shortstops face a steep decline in their late 30s as lower-body injuries start to pile up.

Notably, earlier this month, Miguel Rojas tweaked his left hip, suffering a hip flexor and quad issue, and experienced a ‘dead leg.’  Manager Dave Roberts has been careful about the physical toll on his body, given his age. He has Hyeseong Kim replace Rojas in most of the late games. And Miguel has played only 33 of the Dodgers’ 56 games so far this season. That is a major drop from the 114 games he managed to grind through during the 2025 season.

But it is not just Rojas at the end of his line on the Dodgers roster. 

Dodgers’ championship-era veterans are gradually approaching the finish line

The LA side has spent years and millions to make a combination of superstar talents and experienced veterans to claim back-to-back titles. But the number of experienced players on the rosters is gradually thinning. 11x NL All-Star Clayton Kershaw decided to rest his arm in 2025 after spending 18 seasons with the team. 

Blake Treinen is another 37-year-old whose contract runs through 2026. Although there hasn’t been any news of retirement regarding the reliever, it is easy to understand that the team won’t be able to keep him going forever. 

Freddie Freeman is a 3x World Series champion who signed a 6-year deal with the Dodgers in 2022. That means the now 36-year-old will be there till 2027. But Freeman expressed a will to reach 3,000 hits in his career (currently at 2,485) and play till he’s 40. However, the way he spoke about missing out on time with his family after his daughter was born in April might indicate an early retirement plan. 

Most of the veterans weighing or considering plans away from baseball isn’t good news for the Dodgers. And with the aging factor, there isn’t really a way to keep them on the roster either. Whether Miguel Rojas will play another year will depend on the Dodgers’ postseason performance. But more importantly, he needs to be physically 100% to step on the field again.