After the announcement on Monday that Willy Garcia would be joining Indianapolis, the corresponding move was sending Mel Rojas, Jr. back to Altoona.
Following a strong season in Indianapolis last season, where he hit .277 with a .768 OPS, Rojas had trouble breaking through a deep outfield corp in Indianapolis in 2015.
While Rojas hit .268 this season, his OPS had dropped all the way to .608 with Indianapolis. In 155 at bats, Rojas had just six extra base hits and 37 strikeouts.
In speaking with Rojas on Saturday, he admitted that he was having a tough time adjusting to the new role.
“I feel pretty good, it is just about getting adapted to my new role as basically being the fourth outfielder,” Rojas said. “I have been in and out of the lineup, but I just have to stay positive and take advantage of every opportunity they give to me.”
While April and May were not the strongest for Rojas, he did show some promise in June, going 9-for-31 with three doubles.
For Rojas, there were some lofty expectations in 2015, including possibly making a run for a September call-up with his play last season. However, the adjustment has not been smooth for him, and as a result his disappointing season has resulted in going back to Altoona. The positive is that it will allow Rojas to be some at bats and try to get some rhythm back to salvage the campaign.
