With just a week remaining before the Philadelphia Phillies conclude their training camp and embark on the start of the baseball season, none of the vacant spots in the Opening Day roster have been finalized. However, there have been noteworthy performances thus far.
The competition for outfield positions, coincidentally including the battle for the final bench spot, remains undecided. Johan Rojas has encountered difficulties at the plate, leaving the composition of the Phillies’ Opening Day outfield uncertain. It is certain that Nick Castellanos will occupy right field. The readiness of Brandon Marsh for the season is assumed, but his specific outfield position remains uncertain. If Rojas fails to secure his spot, Marsh could take center field; otherwise, he may be stationed in left field.
The Phillies’ Opening Day outfield is mysterious due to Rojas’ troubles.
While the team initially aimed to have Johan Rojas as their starting center fielder on Opening Day, the 23-year-old’s performance has been less than ideal. Despite offseason efforts to refine his swing, Rojas has yet to demonstrate significant improvement.
Despite a notable performance on Saturday, where he went 2-for-3 with a triple, Rojas still holds a batting average of .184 with a .521 OPS, along with seven strikeouts and only one walk in 38 at-bats. While manager Rob Thomson and the front office consider more than just statistics, there is undoubtedly some concern brewing behind the scenes.
Thomson expressed optimism, stating, “I think it’s going to come,” highlighting Rojas’ ongoing adjustments to his swing. However, time is running short for Rojas to find his rhythm before crucial roster decisions must be made. Perhaps his exceptional defensive skills will afford him some leeway to continue refining his game early in the regular season.
When questioned about Rojas’ progress towards Opening Day, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski remained non-committal, emphasizing the ongoing evaluation process. “Rojas has been outstanding in the outfield,” Dombrowski acknowledged, “But we also have another real good defensive center fielder in [Cristian] Pache. So those are things that we have to discuss further, and I don’t know where that’s going to take us.”
