PHILADELPHIA >> The sometimes baffling Johan Rojas has more than a few people wondering again. Only this time, the question seems to be whether Rojas’ reborn offensive production is a one-month mirage or not.
Still hitting out of the No. 9 hole, Rojas was instead sitting Friday night at the start of a series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park. He was replaced in the lineup and center field by recent Lehigh Valley IronPigs promotee Cal Stevenson. He came into the game with only one hit in six at-bats (.167) since his callup a couple of weeks earlier, and he hadn’t played since the previous Friday.
Phils manager Rob Thomson had been saying he needed to get Stevenson more playing time, but this chance for him to play had more to do with Rojas.
“Just a day off, and I might give him another one,” Thomson said of his recently starting centerfielder. “He’s played every day, and he has some body soreness in general, but he’s fine.”
Thomson said Rojas was also fine when the two had a discussion after Thursday night’s loss to the Washington Nationals. With the Phillies down two runs with two outs in the ninth inning, Rojas stroked a hit to left. It looked like a double, except Rojas runs faster than most anyone in baseball. So he kept going, and somehow beat the tag at third for a triple.
It even went to replay. What wasn’t replayed was the way third base coach Dusty Wathan talked to Rojas all during the video review. That’s because being down two runs, taking third was unnecessary … as most everybody in the ballpark knew.
Thomson said Friday he had indeed talked to Rojas about the play, but it had nothing to do with his absence from the starting lineup.
“Oh, no … it’s just about a situation and in that situation you want him to stay (at second),” Thomson said. Rojas wound up getting into the game after all, entering as a defensive replacement for Stevenson in the eighth inning, and steaming around to catch a pair of fly balls. He also batted in the bottom of the inning, and was beaten on a grounder to short by a half-step.
He wasn’t done. Rojas bailed out closer Jose Alvarado with a crashing catch against the center field fence to start the ninth inning. Two outs later, the Phillies had a 3-2 win.
Only 24, Rojas makes his fair share of mental errors. He’s also a really good glove artist with speed to burn. Very slowly but somewhat surely, he’s learning to use that speed on offense.
Starting since Brandon Marsh injured a hamstring in mid-April, Rojas had boosted his batting average to an eye-opening .305 through Thursday. He had five hits in the three-game Nationals series, including his first home run of the season. He has knocked in nine runs and his OPS was .772.
The Phillies could be getting Marsh back Saturday, which is likely why Thomson indicated Rojas’ non-start duty could be for two games. Marsh was expected to go through the paces of one last rehab start Thursday night for the IronPigs.
What then for the center spot?
“Don’t really know,” Thomson said. “Rojas has played very well. I like where his swing is at right now and we’ll just have to play it by ear.”
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Speaking of rehab starts, Andrew Painter’s next one will be with the Triple-A ’Pigs. According to Thomson, that’s scheduled to happen Thursday.
That would be a full week of rest for Painter, who was in Clearwater, Fla. this Thursday and threw only 42 pitches. He threw another 18 in the bullpen to complete his anticipated total of 60. The slow rehab continues for Painter, who supposedly is ticketed for a summer activation for the Phillies.
That would be nearly two years since his Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow in July of 2023.
Thomson said Painter looked “very good … healthy,” in the Clearwater rehab start. “His stuff has been good. He gave up a couple of home runs last night but I think we ramp up the competition right now a little bit.”
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NOTES >> J.T. Realmuto was back in the lineup Friday after a one-day rest. Thomson said he’s “trying to” give Realmuto more time off, and will as the season goes on. Meanwhile, backup catcher Rafael Marchan is slashing but .100/.250/.100. But he’s only had 20 at-bats. “That’s a tough role,” Thomson said of the seldom used backup catcher. … Aaron Nola, still looking for his first win of 2025, takes the mound Saturday against Arizona’s Brandon Pfaadt (5-1, 2.78). Ranger Suarez is on track to make his debut Sunday, against the Diamondbacks’ Eduardo Rodriguez (1-3, 6.06).
Source: Berkshire mont
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