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Johan Rojas is making progress at the plate, thanks in part to a recent chat with Trea Turner

"Not much chase," said Rob Thomson. And he’s using the field. He’s got to do that. He’s got to be able to shoot the ball to right field, and he’s done that a few times. He’s staying on the ball.”

Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas is 7 for his 11 at the plate.
Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas is 7 for his 11 at the plate.Read moreHeather Khalifa / Staff Photographer

A few days ago, Johan Rojas spent extra time in the batting cage before a game with the Phillies’ hottest hitter.

“We worked on a couple things,” Trea Turner said.

Maybe they should get together more often.

» READ MORE: Trea Turner wants to play shortstop for as long as he can. And that means the work never ends.

Rojas is 7-for-11 since his talk with Turner, including a leadoff single in the Phillies’ three-run fourth inning Sunday in a sweep-completing 8-2 rout of the hapless Chicago White Sox at Citizens Bank Park. After struggling in spring training and a 1-for-22 start to the season, he has hoisted his average to .264 with a .328 on-base percentage.

And in reaching base more often, Rojas is creating havoc. He stole his team-leading sixth base in the fourth inning Sunday, becoming the first Phillies player with a steal in four consecutive games since César Hernández in 2015.

But the biggest difference, according to manager Rob Thomson, is that Rojas is making more consistent contact. He has struck out once in his last 37 plate appearances.

“Not much chase,” Thomson said of Rojas’ swinging at fewer pitches out of the strike zone. “And he’s using the field. He’s got to do that. He’s got to be able to shoot the ball to right field, and he’s done that a few times. He’s staying on the ball.”

It’s all the Phillies ask from Rojas, their No. 9 hitter, especially given his exceptional defense in center field.

When the Phillies came home from St. Louis two weeks ago, Thomson gave Rojas back-to-back days off as a “reset” to help him relax after the rough start. It seems to have worked, although Thomson pointed more to Rojas’ two hits Wednesday night against the Colorado Rockies and three hits Saturday night against the White Sox.

“I didn’t really notice anything different,” Thomson said. “He started to get some hits. Everybody wants to perform. When they do, they relax.”

» READ MORE: Inside baseball's arms crisis: What can be done to curb the game's spate of pitching injuries?

So, what was Turner’s advice to Rojas?

Turner, who has a 10-game hitting streak in which he’s 18-for-42, didn’t go into specifics, chalking it up to “just hitting stuff.”

“Just the swing,” Turner said. “I like having conversations with guys. You don’t know how the conversation is going to start, and you don’t know where it’s going to end up. But we talked for a while and just kind of a, I’m-learning-him, he’s-learning-me type deal. It was a good conversation.”

Ready, set ... Walker

In what was expected to be his final tune-up before joining the Phillies’ rotation, Taijuan Walker threw 102 pitches in 6⅓ innings of a triple-A start in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks with one strikeout.

Walker’s fastball touched only 90 mph, according to Statcast data, and he leaned heavily on his other pitches, including a slow curveball and his signature splitter.

» READ MORE: As load management creeps into MLB, these Phillies want to play every day: ‘It’s a mindset’

The Phillies were planning for Walker to accompany them to Cincinnati this week and likely make his regular-season debut over the weekend in San Diego. He opened the season on the injured list because of an impingement in his right shoulder.

Fill-in No. 5 starter Spencer Turnbull is probably headed to the bullpen after starting Wednesday night against the Reds, although Thomson stressed that a decision hasn’t been finalized. Turnbull has a 1.23 ERA through four starts, but the Phillies are watching his workload after he pitched 57 innings in the majors and minors last year for the Detroit Tigers.

Extra bases

Turner was credited with a steal of home in the first inning, extending his streak to 40 consecutive swipes without being caught. It’s the longest streak in baseball since Ichiro Suzuki stole 45 bags in a row in 2006-07. ... Righty reliever Luis Ortiz is slated to begin a minor-league assignment Tuesday for low-A Clearwater. He sprained his left ankle leaping for a chopper March 30. ... Mascots from the Eagles (Swoop), Sixers (Franklin), Flyers (Gritty), and Union (Phang), in addition to the Red Sox (Wally), White Sox (Southpaw), Tigers (Paws), Orioles (the Bird), Astros (Orbit), Brewers (Bernie), Padres (Swinging Friar), Rays (Raymond), and the Galapagos Gang put on a pregame show for the Phanatic’s birthday. The Phillies also wore blue caps with a Phanatic logo, and naturally, Bryce Harper broke out his green Phanatic cleats and batting gloves. ... Ranger Suárez (3-0, 1.73 ERA) will start the series opener in Cincinnati at 6:40 p.m. Monday against Reds righty Hunter Greene (0-1, 4.35).