​The Los Angeles Dodgers’ planned visit to the White House has once again sparked reaction from local fans who oppose the decision and from supporters of the president around the country. Visiting the White House to celebrate World Series victories is a long-standing tradition, and the Dodgers have now announced they will participate again for the third time since 2020. Yet their most recent planned trip drew headlines after prominent calls to boycott President Trump’s invitation and after one veteran player chose not to join the team.
This year’s White House visit already includes at least one notable absence due to injury, with a second potential absence for personal reasons. In the meantime, a third Dodgers veteran has confirmed his intention to take part in both the White House ceremony and related events in Washington, D.C. shortly afterward.
Forbes, via Peter Chawaga, reports on the broader context surrounding national reactions to such visits. In the Dodgers’ case, veteran Miguel Rojas has addressed his own plans surrounding the White House excursion after teammate Kiké Hernández indicated he would opt out. Rojas confirmed he would attend the White House visit and would also participate in a Dodgers group that would visit Capitol Hill that same day, as reported by Bill Plunkett for The Orange County Register. Rojas’s decision followed Hernández’s Instagram post, which he subsequently deleted, announcing his decision not to go. Hernández later confirmed the opt-out on Friday.
“Kiké Hernández won’t be going — because he expects to be on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment,” Plunkett noted. “The utility player is currently on the injured list with an oblique strain. A year ago, first baseman Freddie Freeman was sidelined by an ankle injury and did not join the team on its White House visit.” Rojas’s confirmation came just before teammate Mookie Betts suggested he would likely skip the trip to spend time with his family.
Local and national fans will continue to watch closely as the Dodgers’ visit approaches, with several other veteran players perhaps weighing their own plans. Forbes’ Peter Chawaga has framed the discussion within the larger narrative of baseball’s public-facing traditions, noting that the Joe Roberts era and the broader sentiment around these visits keeps surfacing each year.
Manager Dave Roberts, meanwhile, has reframed the recurring conversation about White House visits around a single, enduring objective: winning championships. “Honestly, like I’ve always said — my company line, my personal line — is I hope that we get this invitation every year, because that’s the goal, to win a championship, to get this invitation to the White House,” Roberts told The Athletic’s Tyler Kepner on Friday. His remarks highlight how the organization views the visits as part of a broader pursuit of success and recognition, even as public opinion remains divided.
As the Dodgers move closer to this year’s ceremony, the story will likely continue to evolve, with additional veteran players being queried about their plans and the mix of personal choices, injuries, and professional schedules shaping who will be in Washington for the event and who will not.