DETROIT — For a 24-year-old with limited time in the major leagues, Miguel Vargas has already lived a lot of lives.
In one lifetime, he was a rising prospect in the Dodgers’ organization, playing third base more than anywhere else.
In another lifetime, he was the Dodgers’ every-day second baseman. That life ended at the All-Star break last year.
Now, Vargas is in another lifetime, trying to learn how to play the outfield. It has not looked pretty at times but Vargas has accepted the latest position change as the price he has to pay to get major-league playing time.
“They’re trying to give me a place, any opportunity, any position,” Vargas said, looking on the bright side of all the moves. “I’m glad to have that type of versatility because the Dodgers if you see they’ve got four or five guys that can do that. To me it’s a good thing.”
It has not been an easy thing for a young player, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged.
“It’s been a challenge,” Roberts said. “I think the hard thing with Vargy is the bat is obviously natural. It’s always played outside of the early part of last year with us.
“But there’s really no position that I think he profiles at. I really don’t. The floor is at first base. But as a 23-, 24-year-old young player and with who we have at first base (Freddie Freeman) doesn’t make sense. I don’t think he profiles at second base, which we tried. Now you’re looking at left field and you feel that gives him the best run with the construction of our roster, our team.”
With Max Muncy not expected back before Aug. 1 (Roberts’ most recent estimate Friday) and his replacements offering little offense, Vargas started taking ground balls and working at third base before games when he is not in the lineup that night.
But a return to third base is not imminent.
“I think it’s just more of giving him time to get acclimated over there at third base,” Roberts said. “We’ve really tried to get him to focus on playing left field and I just don’t think it’s fair to him to now try and perform in the batter’s box and play a position I don’t think he’s played in the big leagues … then to just throw him out there. We just want to give him time to kind of get his re-conditioning at third base down.”
Yoshinobu Yamamoto has begun a throwing program this week. Roberts said the Japanese right-hander has started playing catch from 60 feet.
Yamamoto has been sidelined with a strained rotator cuff since leaving his June 15 start after two innings.
Roberts also said right-handed reliever Brusdar Graterol has progressed far enough in his throwing program that he will “probably” start a minor-league injury rehabilitation assignment after the All-Star break. Graterol has not pitched this season due to a shoulder injury, but a return to the Dodgers’ bullpen by the end of July “is a possibility, which is encouraging.”
Joe Kelly continued his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, pitching on consecutive days. He retired the only batter he faced. Roberts said Kelly is expected back with the Dodgers after the All-Star break.
Dodgers (LHP Justin Wrobelski, 0-1, 7.20 ERA) at Tigers (RHP Keider Monterol, 1-2, 4.64 ERA), Saturday, 10:10 a.m., SportsNet LA, MLB Network, 570 AM
