As reported on Sunday, Philadelphia Phillies’ shortstop Trea Turner will be activated prior to Monday’s game against San Diego. This leaves the Phillies in a pickle; they will need to demote someone from the 26-man roster to make room for the former All-Star shortstop. 

The natural choice would be infielder Kody Clemens, who was recalled replacing Turner on the 26-man roster, but Clemens is currently on the injured list while dealing with back spasms. So, he’s out. Chances of outright releasing a lightly performing Whit Merrifield are slim to none. That leaves the Phillies with a decision to make in the outfield, sending down either David Dahl, Cristian Pache, or Johan Rojas. 

And while the team hasn’t made an official announcement, all signs are pointing to Rojas being the odd man out.

Why Johan Rojas?

The 23-year-old is the likely choice because of contractual reasons, Rojas has Minor League options while the others do not. Dahl and Pache, while not big time bats, would provide any team with quality outfield depth and would not likely make it through the waiver process. 

Back to Rojas, getting regular at-bats might be the best option for the struggling center fielder. Rojas is slashing .235/.271/.295 with a pair of homers, 19 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and .566 OPS. Frankly, he’s been overmatched since the closing weeks of the 2023 MLB regular season, and he’s been unable to improve. Additionally, he’s shown to be a liability on the basepaths where he’s been picked off three-times and has made some questionable base running decisions. 

Rojas has also been struggling defensively this season and that’s a problem when you’re considered a “defense-first” player. Perhaps, Rojas is trying too hard at the plate and it’s affecting his game in the outfield and on the bases. It’s certainly happened before. Some time away from the Big Club might be exactly what the speedy outfielder needs. 

Johan Rojas Career Stats