Johan Rojas learning to ‘grind out at-bats’ as Phillies fall to Blue Jays
Rojas went 0-for-3 at the plate, but notably didn't swing at any first pitches in the Phillies' 13-5 loss.
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Each plate appearance is an opportunity for Johan Rojas. So, the Phillies’ center field hopeful had one thought Saturday when his fifth-inning at-bat ended with Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s sliding catch in foul territory.
”I was like, ‘Take it easy, man,’” Rojas said, laughing. “It’s spring training.”
In this case, though, Rojas’ foul pop was fair play for Guerrero.
Rojas ran down Guerrero’s drive to left-center field, the latest in his reel of stellar defensive plays, in the first inning of a 13-5 loss in which the Blue Jays scored eight ninth-inning runs. As fellow outfielder Brandon Marsh left the Phillies’ clubhouse, he complimented Rojas on the catch and said, “Nobody better.”
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Maybe. But Rojas knew Guerrero was entitled to payback.
”That’s right,” he said. “I said, ‘I took it away from him in the first inning,‘ so I think he said, ‘You don’t got a hit, either.’”
Rojas went 0-for-3 and is 5-for-27 this spring. But there was something notable about his at-bats against the Blue Jays. He didn’t swing at any first pitches. He saw 14 pitches in three trips to the plate, including seven before the Guerrero catch.
“If you’re hitting in the nine slot, which he would, that’s got to be a grind position for me,” manager Rob Thomson said. “I’d like to see 18-20 pitches in that spot, with some production, obviously. But if he can learn how to grind out at-bats, he’s going to be a really big factor.”
On the mound: Taijuan Walker made his first start of the spring, went two innings, and gave up a second-inning run on a leadoff walk to Daulton Varsho and an RBI single by Kevin Kiermaier. He got five swings-and-misses despite lower-than-usual velocity, a factor that Walker and Thomson attributed to it being his first outing. … David Buchanan got stretched out to 54 pitches in 2⅔ innings and allowed two runs. … The Blue Jays’ big ninth inning came against Noah Skirrow (five runs) and Alex Rao (three runs).
At the plate: Nick Castellanos hit his second homer of the spring, an opposite-field solo shot in the second inning against Blue Jays starter Ricky Tiedemann. … J.T. Realmuto stayed in the game to get a fourth at-bat and got hit by a pitch. He was uninjured.
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In the field: Rojas and Kiermaier one-upped each other in center field in the first inning. After Rojas’ catch against Guerrero, Kiermaier made a leaping catch to take extra bases from Kyle Schwarber. Tough day for the left fielders, though. Schwarber and Varsho both lost balls in the sun.
Quotable: “I’m just trying to swing at strikes. That’s my mindset right now. I’m a player of habit, so I sometimes want to take a pitch to see the ball better. That was where we were at today.” — Rojas, through a team interpreter, on seeing more pitches at the plate.
On deck: The Phillies will make the 42-mile trip to Bradenton, Fla., to face the Pirates on Sunday. Right-hander Max Castillo, unscored upon in five innings over two appearances, is scheduled to start.