Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas said he feels “really lucky” after his wife, two children, and sister survived a pair of powerful earthquakes that devastated parts of Venezuela. The back-to-back magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes struck the country’s northern coastal state of La Guaira on Wednesday, collapsing more than 770 buildings and killing at least 1,450 people.
Rojas, a Venezuelan native, was in Minneapolis preparing for a game against the Twins when the earthquakes hit. His wife and kids were in Caracas, roughly six miles from the hardest-hit coastal areas, while his sister was in Los Teques, about 17 miles south of the destruction. All of them escaped unharmed.
“Literally two blocks away from where my family was, two buildings collapsed — the whole building,” Rojas told reporters ahead of Friday’s game in San Diego. “I’m lucky, to be honest with you guys. I’m really lucky to have my family still alive and with me. I’m not taking this for granted.”
A Devastating Double Disaster
The successive earthquakes caused widespread destruction along Venezuela’s northern coast. Rescue crews worked through rubble in towns like Catia La Mar as aftershocks continued to shake the region into the weekend. Local authorities described scenes of collapsed buildings and a massive humanitarian effort underway.
Rojas said the situation has been emotionally difficult, especially knowing that some of his former teammates and fellow Venezuelan players lost family members in the disaster. “It’s really tough to see teammates of mine and players that I played with at some point in my career to lose family members, to lose kids,” he said. “It’s really devastating. It’s been really hard for me to go to sleep at night.”
His wife had traveled to Caracas to renew her passport, and the children were accompanying her in hopes of obtaining Venezuelan citizenship. Rojas has been in daily contact with them and expressed hope of bringing them back to the United States as soon as possible.
MLB Shows Solidarity
In a show of support, both the Dodgers and the San Diego Padres wore caps with “VZ” embroidered on the side during their series at Petco Park on Friday. The gesture was meant to honor the people of Venezuela as the country begins its long road to recovery.
“That means a lot because both teams will be doing it — it means a lot, because it brings awareness,” Rojas said. “We are on one of the biggest stages in sports, and I really appreciate what the Dodgers do to support us. It’s not just what happens now, it’s what’s going to happen in the future. It’s going to take a long time for people to recover.”
A Personal Connection to the Affected Region
Rojas spent several years playing baseball in La Guaira earlier in his career, giving him deep personal ties to the region that was hardest hit. The proximity of the destruction to his family’s locations has made the tragedy feel especially close.
While Rojas and his immediate family were spared, the scale of loss across Venezuela has been staggering. The dual earthquakes rank among the most destructive natural disasters to hit the country in recent years, leaving thousands homeless and overwhelming local rescue and recovery efforts.
Looking Ahead
As aftershocks continue and recovery efforts ramp up, Rojas remains focused on supporting his family from afar while trying to stay ready for the Dodgers’ stretch run. He has described the experience as a sobering reminder not to take anything for granted.
The outpouring of support from MLB teammates and organizations has provided some comfort during an otherwise painful week. For Rojas and many other Venezuelan players in Major League Baseball, the connection to home remains strong — and the pain of watching their country suffer is deeply felt.
The Dodgers are expected to continue showing support for Venezuela in the coming days as the nation works to rebuild.
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