With a left-hander on the mound for the visiting Oakland Athletics in the series opener on Friday, Philadelphia Phillies outfielders Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas will start on the bench. Weston Wilson, who was recalled from the minors, will start in left field and bat seventh, while Cristian Pache will draw into the lineup in center field and hit in the nine-hole against A's left-hander Hogan Harris. Marsh is having a solid year offensively with a .272 average (62-for-228) with nine homers, 35 RBI, and 11 stolen bases in 72 games in 2024, but he's hitting just .149 (7-for-47) with no home runs against lefties. Rojas has done little with the bat, slashing .234/.271/.289 with two homers, but he has helped in deeper fantasy leagues with his 17 stolen bases. Rojas' lack of offensive punch is part of the reason the Phils are looking to trade for better center-field bat this summer.
Philadelphia Phillies rookie outfielder Johan Rojas (forearm) left Tuesday's game early against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers in the seventh inning after getting hit in the right forearm with a pitch. Rojas said he is OK, though, so it may just be a day-to-day type of injury. Before leaving the contest, Rojas went 2-for-3 with two singles, an RBI, two runs scored and a strikeout to raise his batting average to .234 on the year. He was replaced by Cristian Pache, who would see more starts in center field for the Phillies if Rojas' injury keeps him out beyond Tuesday. The 23-year-old Rojas is mainly useful for his glove on defense and his speed. He has already been optioned to the minors at one point in 2023. He entered Tuesday's game hitting just .227/.262/.284 with just two home runs and 20 RBI while contributing a career-high 16 steals in his second MLB season.
Kody Clemens, Johan Rojas Back With Phillies And Starting Friday
The Philadelphia Phillies reinstated infielder Kody Clemens (back) from the 10-day injured list and also recalled outfielder Johan Rojas from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday with both first baseman Bryce Harper (hamstring) and outfielder/designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (groin) going on the 10-day IL. Clemens will make the start at first base and bat sixth, while Rojas is in center field and hitting ninth for the Phillies on Friday versus the visiting Miami Marlins and right-hander Kyle Tyler, who is making just his second major-league start. Clemens, who is returning from a bout with back spasms, should start regularly for the Phils at first against right-handed pitchers for however long Harper is out, driving up his value in NL-only leagues. Rojas should also see more action with Schwarber on the IL after going 13-for-34 with Lehigh Valley after his demotion.
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas will start in center field and hit ninth in Friday's season opener versus Spencer Strider and the rival Atlanta Braves. Rojas was battling for the starting center field job in spring training and has seemingly won it despite a tough showing at the plate in Grapefruit League action. The 23-year-old hit just .176 without a homer and four stolen bases across 56 spring plate appearances. However, he also hit .302 with two homers and 14 stolen bases alongside a .772 OPS in a 59-game debut in the 2023 season while playing excellent defense in center field. The move pushes Brandon Marsh to left field and veteran Whit Merrifield to the bench to begin the season.
Johan Rojas Still The Favorite For Center Field Job
Despite not having a good spring, outfielder Johan Rojas remains the favorite to open the year as the Philadelphia Phillies' starting center fielder, according to team sources. There could be an official verdict later this week, according to manager Rob Thomson. The Phillies will continue to monitor Rojas' Grapefruit League at-bats as he continues to make mechanical changes to his swing. He chased some pitches in four hitless at-bats on Tuesday and is hitting .156/.174/.267 this spring. The Phillies know that Rojas will bat ninth and play an elite defense in center field if he's on the big-league roster, but they want him to chase less and refine his swing. If Rojas isn't the everyday center fielder, the Phillies would be committing to regular playing time for Whit Merrifield as their left fielder, with Brandon Marsh in center. Ideally, the Phils want Merrifield to play two or three times a week.
When asked if outfielder Johan Rojas would be a starter in 2024, Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said, "Likely, yes. Definitively, no... I think he can do enough offensively... and when you add his speed in there and his defense, he becomes a real plus." Rojas became the team's primary center fielder late last season after slashing an impressive .302/.342/.430 in his first 164 big-league games in 2023. The 23-year-old never spent time at Triple-A in the minors, though, and he struggled in the postseason. Dombrowski said late last year that Rojas would have to earn playing time in center field in 2024. Rojas is more of a contact/speed guy whose high average last year was propped up by a lofty .410 BABIP. Playing time isn't guaranteed, and Rojas' bat isn't all that special.
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas is in the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. This marks the first time that Rojas has been in the starting lineup since being recalled on July 16. The 22-year-old is 3-for-11 with two RBI and a stolen base since being called up after the All-Star break. Rojas is the Phillies' No. 6 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. The assumption is that he'll get a decent amount of playing time with Cristian Pache (elbow) sidelined. He'll bat ninth and cover center field versus right-hander Dean Kremer on Monday.
Cristian Pache Goes On Injured List, Phils Recall Johan Rojas
The Philadelphia Phillies placed outfielder Cristian Pache (elbow) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to July 11) on Friday with right-elbow irritation and recalled outfield prospect Johan Rojas from Double-A Reading and infielder Drew Ellis from Triple-A Lehigh Valley in corresponding moves. Pache's injury is minor, so he could be back before the end of the month. In a small sample size of 49 at-bats, he's hitting a strong .327 with just two homers and eight RBI in a platoon in center field for the Phils. With Pache out, Rojas, the team's No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline, should see some playing time in center field against left-handers. The 22-year-old has impressed with a .306 average, nine home runs and 30 steals at Reading this year, but fantasy managers in single-year leagues shouldn't invest much in him because he probably isn't going to stick around long on the big-league roster.
Philadelphia Phillies fifth-ranked prospect, outfielder Johan Rojas, went 3-for-3 with a walk and two steals for Double-A Reading on Friday. Rojas now has 52 steals combined between High-A and Double-A in 2022. He is currently slashing a combined .235/.296./333 with five home runs and 29 RBI in 2022, though he has a slightly better .245/.312/.350 mark at Double-A over 143 at-bats. Rojas has elite speed, and projects as a solid average hitter with moderate power, despite his poor 2022 ratios. Promoted to Double-A in late June, Rojas should eventually man centerfield in Philadelphia for years to come once promoted, likely sometime in 2024. Rojas should be rostered in competitive dynasty formats.
Philadelphia Phillies outfield prospect Johan Rojas swiped his 50th bag of the year for Double-A Reading on Thursday. Rojas has shown tremendous speed and also plays a strong center field defensively. In addition to his speed, Rojas has shown an ability to make plenty of contact and doesn't strike out a lot, but he has also shown an ability to be aggressive at times. Rojas has played 70 games in High-A this season and the last 35 for Double-A. In that time, he has hit a combined .230 with five triples, five homers, 29 RBI and 50 stolen bases in 52 attempts. Rojas still has plenty of work to do offensively, but his speed and defense should help him get to the big leagues as soon as 2023. For now, dynasty managers should keep tabs on him, but he not a must-roster player.
