The Phillies announced that outfielder Johan Rojas recently experienced some elbow soreness while ramping up to return from his ongoing suspension. Imaging revealed a tear of his ulnar collateral ligament, which will require surgical repair involving an internal brace. The expectation is that he will be ready for spring training 2027. He is currently on the restricted list
2026 was already shaping up to be an unfortunate season for Rojas. Back in March, he received an 80-game suspension after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance Boldenone. That was going to wipe out the first half of his regular season and, like all players suspended for PEDs, render him ineligible for the postseason.
After receiving that suspension, his best-case scenario would have been for him to have a strong second half, but now that’s off the table as well and he will miss the entire 2026 campaign. He is currently on the restricted list. Once his suspension is up, the Phillies can put him on the 60-day injured list, or perhaps cut him from the roster by designating him for assignment or releasing him.
Rojas had a strong debut with the Phils in 2023. He was already known to have speed and defensive abilities, but he then put up a .302/.342/.430 line in his first 164 plate appearances. That wasn’t entirely sustainable, as he had a .410 batting average on balls in play, but it was a welcome development for the Phillies nonetheless. Thanks to that offense, his 14 steals and strong glovework, he was credited by FanGraphs with 1.4 wins above replacement in just 59 games.
His production tailed off from there. He could still swipe some bags and run the ball down on the grass but he hit just .237/.279/.312 over the 2024 and 2025 seasons. That seemingly caused the Phils move on from the idea of Rojas being an everyday player. They acquired Harrison Bader at the 2025 deadline. He became a free agent after the season but they essentially handed the 2026 center field job to Justin Crawford in the most recent offseason.
With Crawford, Adolis García and Brandon Marsh set to be the regular outfield in 2026, Rojas was lined up to either be in a fourth outfielder role or sent to the minors. Between the suspension and this surgery, he will instead be a total non-factor for the year. If he holds onto his roster spot through the winter and gets healthy, he could be back in consideration for those kinds of depth roles next year. Garcia is an impending free agent but the Phils will presumably look to address that spot before the 2027 season begins.
For now, the Phils have Edmundo Sosa and Steward Berroa as their bench outfielders, backing up the trio of Marsh, Crawford and Garcia. Marsh is the only one of those three having a good season, so it’s possible they look to shake things up at the deadline.
Photo courtesy of Kelley L Cox, Imagn Images
I think it’s best for the team and player if the Phillies part ways with him. They can try to trade him and if nothing materializes, non-tender him after the season. Maybe some team can make him into a decent hitter, but it’s not going to happen for him in the Phillies organization.
At least he should heal really quick.
Rhys Hoskins proved that.
Whether Rojas ever becomes an adequate hitter in the majors has little to do with whether he leaves the Phillies. He actually developed quite a bit in the minors as a hitter (before he got to Reading no one thought he would hit) to even become a potentially viable CF; if you saw him earlier on in his development he has come a long way.
A guy like him however was always going to be a longshot to hit against major league pitching at a consistent level. If anything, he might end up as one of those guys that has a shorter window as he physically matures – he is very slight and the lack of strength is an issue. But with his defense and speed setting the floor, he is closing in on the years of greatest physical strength and that might be enough to see him able to hold down a spot in center or as a 4th OF for his peak years.
If a baseball player is diagnosed with low testosterone by a doctor, are they allowed to do testosterone replacement therapy the same way adhd patients can take amphetamines like adderall?
but he’s suspended tho, how did this happen
Faaaaaping to the Crawford slump.
Probably happened during a workout.
I’d love to see the kid do well, but he’s the Joe Btfsplk of baseball. And some of it is of his own doing. It might take an act of Congress to keep him from swinging for the fences. A lighter bat and probably Realmuto’s semi-choked-up grip would work well for him. He’s a guy who’d just need to drop a bunt or two a week to get the corner infielders regularly encroaching, allowing him to slap balls past them more often. But… taking pitches outside the zone is his greatest weakness. If the Phillies could teach guys how to do that, though, there’d be more championship trophies on display at CBP. He does need to change the proverbial scenery, probably sooner rather than later.
He’s shown the league sho he is. He’s a Walmart version of Ben Revere.
Good, place him on 60 day IL and offer up a package of top 30 prospects to the Houston Astros for Jake Meyers and Bryan Abreu. Houston has the worst ranked farm system in MLB and are all but eliminated from contention in 2026. Astros need a LH swinging OF’er, corner INF help and some upper minors arms.
Baseball gods get their revenge. Karma