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Miguel Rojas is in a better mental space than he was at this time last year.

Miguel Rojas could feel the end of his major-league career coming, so he decided to take control of his career.

The Los Angeles Dodgers utility player opened up about playing in his final big-league season, the lowest point of his career last season and why he is at peace with this being the end, in a recent conversation with Katie Woo of The Athletic.

Rojas, who turned 37 in February, is in his fourth season in his second tour with the Dodgers and has been a useful part of two straight World Series championship teams in LA.

Miguel Rojas Was in a ‘Bad Place Mentally’ in 2025

The May gray can affect everyone’s mode in Southern California. But it was more than just the gloomy weather that impacted Rojas last spring.

Rojas had watched Chris Taylor and Austin Barnes get shown the door to recall younger players, and he was afraid he would be next.

“I was in such a bad place mentally, especially because I knew I was on the back end of my career, and I didn’t know how much longer I could play for,” Rojas told Woo. “There are the things that start creeping into your mind when you’re trying to decide if you’re still good enough to play baseball at the highest level. I didn’t want anyone to take that (decision) from me.”

Luckily, Kiké Hernández noticed what Rojas was going through.

“I wanted to change the mentality, because if he didn’t, he was going to be on the way out,” Hernández said. “Not because it was going to happen, but because he was going to do that to himself.

“I basically told him, ‘I’ve been where you are right now, and it’s not a good way to live. If you put a stop to it, and you say the season starts tomorrow and that’s the mentality you bring in each and every day, you’re going to be much more enjoyable.’”

Miguel Rojas is Comfortable in His Role This Year

Hernández’s speech rejuvenated Rojas, who would up playing 114 games last season largely at third base spelling Max Muncy during his multiple injuries.

He slashed .278/.316/.444 in the postseason and started at second base in Games 6 and 7 of the World Series. Rojas, of course, hit a memorable ninth-inning homer off Toronto Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman that saved LA’s chances in Game 7.

This year, Rojas has only played 18 games, even though he boasts an .852 OPS. Hyeseong Kim, who took over for Rojas at second base in extra innings in Game 7, has been spelling the injured Mookie Betts at shortstop, and Alex Freeland has been playing second base almost every day.

Still, Rojas is happy to be where he is.

“We talk a lot about things getting worse before they get better,” Rojas said. “Now I understand. I got to the point where this year is more of I know my role, I know when I’m going to be playing, I know who I’m going to be facing.

“At the end of the day, it’s not about me. It’s about the team. And I couldn’t really care less about what I do this season, I just care how the organization is doing.”