It would be interesting to know if there is any data that factors in just how hard pinch-hitting is. Because the general reason to pinch-hit for Rojas or any player - is usally pretty cut-and-dried. There's either a clear general platoon advantage as well as, in many cases with a 2024 pitching operations, a favorable match-up of the batter's swing with the pitcher's stuff. Or in the case of last night, a guy who simply has a much better chance of hitting a home run or a double, and no worse a chance of getting a hit. Plus Wilson needs to be exposed to key situations too. But whether any of those advantages truly play out in a single AB versus over 100 ABs, I dunno.
But just thinking they should never pitch-hit seems a little unexamined at this point, and a bad outcome still doesn't mean it was a bad decision (or that Rojas wouldn't have also had the bad outcome).
I hear you on the defense but then we say the same thing in a 3-2 game when an OF comes out for defense and then there's a blown save and his bat is missed. And with bench players used so infrequently they also still had Pache.
Just as Marsh is not being given the chance to get good enough to hit LHP this October, Rojas is not going to be allowed to come to the plate in a situation like that in October. HIs "learn on the job" period ended when he got sent down. Now it's however he can best help. He's still the starting CF, the extra playing time for the other guys is obviously trade deadline shake-out stuff
