Miguel Vargas of the Dodgers finds ways to nurture his talent in the midst of a heady spring

Miguel Vargas had never done anything like this in his entire baseball career.

In each of his Cactus League at bats this spring, the Dodgers’ rookie second baseman stepped up to the plate, took his upright stance, and turned his bat as he waited for a pitch.

However, Vargas never struck, at least not in a game.

“It’s so strange,” the 23-year-old said with a self-mockery last weekend. “I feel so uncomfortable on the board.”

There’s a reason for the apparent spring madness. During the first week of camp, Vargas suffered a hairline crack in his right little finger while grounding out.

It was not a serious injury. No surgery or even a cast was necessary. His defense is unaffected, so the future Major League-infielder continues to play in exhibition games.

But out of caution, the Dodgers prevented Vargas from smashing one of those live bats.

“It’s part of what I have to do,” Vargas said. “And when I can, I’ll be ready to swing.”

The Dodgers hope that day will come soon. According to manager Dave Roberts, the team is aiming for Wednesday’s game to clear Vargas for his first proper spring changes.

For an acclaimed prospect best known for his racket, it was an odd experience.

But the longer it lasted, the more the situation provided unexpected bright spots.

“He understands the process,” Roberts said. “And I think just the value we had in getting him out there, getting his legs under him and playing defensively was really helpful.”

The most striking finding: Vargas has continued to come to base regularly in recent weeks.

Four times in his 10 at bats, opposing pitchers have walked Vargas — oblivious to his limitations or more focused on their own mechanics and care delivery.

Zack Greinke was an exception on Saturday night, throwing a 59 mph curveball at Vargas despite knowing he wouldn’t use it.

On a side note, Vargas got into the weird habit of taking four balls and waking up after first base.

“You probably don’t know,” joked Vargas, who played only twice in 50 Major League-games in his debut season last year. “If they knew, they’d probably use three fields.”

It also brought an underlying advantage that allowed Vargas to pursue a series of pitches as he prepared for his first full MLB campaign.

“He saw so many pitches on the board,” said Roberts. “I think it also has a way of helping.”

Vargas’ shortened time in the batting cage has also been constructively redistributed.

With his shots unimpeded by his injured little finger, Vargas was not only able to continue defensive practice, but also improved his timing against outfield players in the infield. It’s a potentially significant development for a player whose defense is in high demand at second base, a position the Dodgers have little depth in following Gavin Lux’s season-ending knee injury.

Finding a defensive fit for Vargas has been challenging for the Dodgers throughout his minor league career. He mainly played third base in their farm system and also experimented in left field last year.

In second place, Vargas feels most comfortable.

So far, he’s been prone to countless misplays, from kicked grounders to misplaced throws, in camp, in games, and on backfield drills.

“It’s part of the experience,” Roberts said. “But as long as the intention is what he’s preparing for [doesn’t change] – There will be some growing pains. Naturally.”

Roberts believes Vargas has the athletic tools to succeed at second and all he needs to do is improve his basic skills, from deeper play to more consistent arm movements on his throws to first base.

“There were some really spectacular plays,” said Roberts, referring to two tackle attempts by Vargas in his spring games. “And then there were some games that I think he could have played. I think we expected that at the moment. But our expectation is that he will get better every day.”

Because his broken little finger kept his schedule free, Vargas was often one of the last players to leave the Camelback Ranch backfields each afternoon. Usually this extra work is led by pitching coaches Dino Ebel and Chris Woodward, as well as veterans like Miguel Rojas and Mookie Betts.

“I involved a lot of people in the process,” Vargas said. “You helped me a lot.”

The fruits of this work can already be seen.

During a recent extended session with Betts, Vargas tackled almost every grounder cleanly, threw accurate throws across the diamond from both sides of second base, and seemed more in tune with his stance and footwork.

When it ended, after a skillful double-header started by Vargas with a sneaky spin to Betts in second, Roberts ran out to greet the freshmen, roaring and applauding as if the Dodgers had just won a regular-season game.

“It was very good!” said the administrator.

Still, it won’t feel like a normal spring until Vargas can take hacks again during games.

As much as he’s embraced the experiment — “At least now I have excuses to get off,” he joked Saturday — he’s eager to get back to his usual routine on the record.

“I’m just excited to swing,” he said.

When asked what he learned from his no-swing limitations, Vargas again offered some humor.

“I mean, it told me if I wasn’t swinging at the ball, I’d probably only be there 50% of the time,” he said with a laugh.

But when it was suggested that his percentage on base might drop if he started swinging again, the confident second baseman reacted quickly – suggesting that his atypical bounce would eventually help round out his game.

“Maybe not,” he said. “It can go uphill.”