LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 28: Miguel Rojas #72 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on prior to a game against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium on April 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
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The Los Angeles Dodgers are preparing to face the Toronto Blue Jays in the final leg of their quest to repeat as World Series champions.
After a second straight blockbuster offseason of star acquisitions, the Dodgers are heavily favored in the series and seem to have the advantage at virtually every position. But one thing that a pair of key players for the team won’t have is the in-person support of their closest family members.
After defecting from his native Cuba to pursue his dream of playing Major League Baseball, Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages has been separated from his family due to longstanding political barriers between his home country and the U.S. Aside from his wife, no one in his family has ever seen him in his Dodgers uniform in person.
“Obviously it’s hard,” Pages said of the separation, according to Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times. “But we’ve learned to live with it because we’ve been like this for a long time.”
Although it has been common for Cuban MLB players to remain separated from their families after defection, the Trump administration tightened restrictions on nationals from Cuba, Venezuela and five other countries entering the U.S. in June.
President Trump signed a proclamation that limited the entry of these nationals for fear that their entry “would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.” Following that proclamation, Pages’ Dodgers teammate Miguel Rojas is adjusting to a new political reality that is keeping him from seeing his own family, which hails from Venezuela.
The 12-year MLB veteran offered a three-word message on those restrictions:
“It’s pretty tough,” Rojas said, per Baxter.
Both he and Pages teared up as they thought about the family members they left behind in their native countries.
“My father is in Venezuela,” Rojas added, according to Baxter. “I can’t really see my sister that many times.”
Both Pages and Rojas are key members of this Dodgers team and are set to play important roles as they look to earn a second consecutive championship. Rojas offers important defensive versatility for manager Dave Roberts, while Pages has enjoyed a breakout sophomore season in the outfield.
The Cuban 24-year-old slashed .272/.313/.461 with 27 homers this season. And as his family tunes into the World Series via radio and television, he will hope to continue that breakout success even if his hopes of welcoming them to the U.S. seem to be getting further away.
