Ex-’Bow Rojas waiting for upswing on a roller-coaster season

PHILADELPHIA >> It’s a roller-coaster game, baseball.

One day you’re up, belting three home runs on a windy day at Wrigley Field. The next you’re down, going 0-fer, perhaps committing an error in the field. And the third you look at the lineup card and find your name missing.

That’s why Josh Rojas sees no reason to panic. Eventually the former University of Hawaii standout is confident it will all come together for him. Besides, while he’s struggling, his hometown team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, has been winning.

“My numbers are down a little bit this year,” Rojas said prior to the start of a three-game series here where his only start came in the opener. “It’s been a tough start, but I’m figuring things out.

“It’s just the game, an up-and-down game. You’ve got to figure it out as you go. Every day is a learning process. There are guys who’ve been in the game twice as long as me who are still learning. You come to the yard every day trying to get better. You show up like it’s a brand-new day. Disconnect from a bad game or a couple of bad games. And when it’s going well you try to ride the wave.”

So far 2023 hasn’t exactly been like riding the waves back in Hawaii for the kid from suburban Phoenix who spent two years with the Rainbow Warriors before turning pro in 2017. Houston drafted him in the 26th round and traded him to Arizona in 2019 in a package for All-Star pitcher Zack Greinke.

Coming off a season in which he hit .269 with nine homers — three coming last May 20 at Wrigley — and had career bests of 56 RBIs and 23 steals, Rojas was expecting to pick up where he left off. Instead he came into the home of the reigning National League champion Phillies at the start of the week batting .256, with zero homers, 21 RBIs and five steals. By the end of the week, which culminated by his going 1-for-4 with an RBI in a home win against Boston on Sunday, Rojas was batting .248 and 22 RBIs.

Normally leading off or hitting near the top of the lineup, he’s also lately found himself in a different spot — sixth.

“I talked to Josh and told him ‘We’re going to keep you in that spot for a couple of days and when you’re right, we’ll get you back in,’” explained Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo. “He has just one gear — fast forward.”

Lovullo acknowledges that Rojas is “a very dynamic player who loves being in the middle of everything. But I think he was just putting a little too much pressure on himself to produce on offense. Dropping him down a few spots I want him to slow down the game and maybe he’ll get a little look at five hitters before him.”

Rojas, who’s making $2.6 million and is eligible for arbitration again after the season, understands.

“Leading off is a whole different pressure,” said the 28-year-old left-handed-hitting Rojas, who’s been sitting periodically against southpaws “You’re trying to see a lot of pitches (that first at-bat). Batting sixth is something else. You’re probably going to hit in some kind of situation. The other advantage is you’ve seen what the pitcher is throwing to other guys. You see what he likes and what’s been working and have a better idea what’s going to happen.”

“But you’re only leading off one time. The only difference is that first at-bat.”

Wherever he hits, at least one man believes Rojas will get the job done.

“I think last year he did a really good job of standing out and putting himself on the map where teams noticed him as a really good hitter,” said hitting coach Joe Mather. “So maybe they’re bearing down on him a little bit more.

“But it’s just a matter of time until he breaks out and adjusts to the pitchers and how they’re pitching him. When he starts walking that’s usually a good sign. A big part of his game is being able to get on base. When he’s doing that and forcing pitchers to come in the zone it’s a win-win.”

While conceding that offense has certainly been an issue, Rojas is pleased with his progress defensively at third base. He has committed three errors so far this season after totaling 16 last season between playing second and third base.

“I’ve had a couple of bad games here and there,” he said, “but for the most part there’s been improvement, which is what you’re looking for every year. I just had some bad footwork. Bad pre-set. Very small things, but correcting them has made a huge difference.”

As for the drop-off in steals despite the bases being closer together this season, Rojas senses that teams have become wary of the team’s aggressive style.

“Everybody knows when we come to the yard we’re going to steal bases and they’re doing everything they can to stop it,” said Rojas. “My game is more I’m trying to steal a base when you’re not expecting it.

“I’m trying to catch you by surprise, and because the team runs so well and so many of us can run they’re really paying attention to us. So my opportunities to catch them by surprise are a little bit less.”

On the other hand, the 30-23 Diamondbacks seem to be catching the rest of the National League by surprise this year. Coming off a 74-88 season, fourth in the NL West, they’ve climbed into the thick of things, just a game-and-a-half games behind the Dodgers, but atop the wild-card standings.

“We have a lot of young guys, smart guys, athletes,” Rojas said of the transformation. “Team players that all have the same goal — to win.

“We’ve had a couple of years together. Everybody’s been together and learning to win at the big-league level. Everybody’s holding each other accountable and feels like they have a role on the team.”

While it’s too early to look ahead, as the Phillies demonstrated last year anything can happen once you get in.

“All it takes is for a team to get hot at the right time,” Rojas said.

“Just try to win every single day. All these games are to put yourself in the best spot to make a run at the end of the year.”

Although he got into a heated argument with the umpire for not being in the batter’s box on time on Wednesday, Rojas said he welcomed the rule changes to speed the game up.

“I love it,” he said regarding the pitch clock and other rule changes instituted this season. “I’m a huge fan. I think it’s a success for sure. The pace. The new strategy. Like we played a 12-inning game the other day under 4 hours. Usually that would be a six-hour game.”