Shortly before the Dodgers played in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Venezuela experienced two devastating earthquakes. Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas had family in the country. The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes shook Venezuela’s northern coastal state, La Guaira, destroying over 770 buildings and causing at least 1,450 deaths, according to local reports.
Rojas’ family members survived. He expressed his relief before the Padres game in San Diego. “Two blocks away from my family, entire buildings collapsed,” Rojas remarked. “I’m really lucky my family is safe.” Rojas’ wife and children were in Caracas for a passport renewal and citizenship processes, just six miles from the coastal damage. His sister stayed in Los Teques, Rojas’ hometown, about 17 miles away from the affected area.
Rojas shared the emotional toll of the disaster, noting, “It’s tough knowing teammates and friends lost family.” Having spent baseball seasons in La Guaira, the impact is personal for him. Communication with his family has been daily, and he plans to bring them to the U.S. swiftly. However, aftershocks continued as of Sunday morning.
As the Dodgers and Padres played at Petco Park, both teams wore hats with “VZ” as a tribute. Rojas noted, “This brings much-needed awareness. The Dodgers’ support is significant, as recovery will take time.” The gesture underscored the unity in sports during tragedies.