Phillies send Johan Rojas to triple A to make room for Trea Turner

By sending down Rojas now, the Phillies also appear to be signaling that they intend to shop for outfield help.

Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas is batting .235/.271/.295 in 58 games this season.Read moreHeather Khalifa / Staff Photographer

Published June 17, 2024, 2:52 p.m. ET

Johan Rojas’ turn as the Phillies’ center fielder is over.

For now, at least.

With star shortstop Trea Turner returning from the injured list, the Phillies optioned Rojas to triple-A Lehigh Valley, a move that crystalized in recent days and was announced before Monday night’s series opener against the Padres at Citizens Bank Park.

Rojas, 23, is batting .235/.271/.295 for a .566 OPS that ranked 199th among 208 major leaguers with at least 190 plate appearances through Sunday. He hasn’t gotten an extra-base hit since May 10. He has been picked off three times. And his defense has been a notch below his typically elite level.

“There were some things that we explained to him that he needs to do — cut down his swing, use the field, and be able to bunt,” manager Rob Thomson said. “Those are the things that we need.”

Indeed, it’s evident that a return to the minors could be beneficial for Rojas’ development. Thomson referred to the move as a “reset,” although he also acknowledged the contractual convenience of sending down Rojas instead of fellow outfielders David Dahl or Cristian Pache, neither of whom can be optioned to the minors.

But the Rojas decision also raises questions about the Phillies’ strategy in the six weeks leading up to the July 30 trade deadline.

In the short term, Rojas’ demotion means that Brandon Marsh will receive a majority of the at-bats in center, with Dahl and Whit Merrifield splitting time in left field. Marsh has struggled this season and throughout his career against left-handed pitching, so Thomson expects to start Pache against lefties.

“I still want to get Marsh at-bats against left-handed pitchers,” Thomson said. “We’ll try to pick and choose. For the most part, I think we’ll platoon.”

But Marsh, who returned last weekend from a strained right hamstring, is among the top defensive left fielders in baseball and only average in center. And a double-platoon in left field and center is far from ideal.

It’s conceivable, then, that Rojas will return later in the season.

“If he’s doing what he can do on offense,” Thomson said, “which is just be a table-setter, be able to move the ball, move runners, with him playing [elite-level] center field, this is probably the best version of our club.”

Thomson said Rojas handled the news “very professionally” and left the impression that he doesn’t intend to sulk when he gets to Lehigh Valley.

“He’s got the talent,” Turner said. “It’s about unlocking it, evolving, and then growing. I got sent down [in 2016 by the Nationals]. I think how you use that as motivation is a big factor. He’s young in his career, and he’s got a lot to learn. He will. It takes time. But he’s got a good head on his shoulders. He’s a talented player, so he’ll be fine.”

When Rojas made the team out of spring training, the Phillies were willing to trade below-average offense from the No. 9 spot in the order for brilliant center field defense. But Rojas has recorded only two outs above average, according to Statcast, one fewer than seldom-used Pache.

The Phillies are also getting less than they expected from $20 million-per-year right fielder Nick Castellanos, who went 0-for-14 last weekend in Baltimore to drop his OPS to .609. And they’re playing without star catcher J.T. Realmuto, who had surgery last week to remove torn cartilage from his right knee and isn’t expected to return until after the All-Star break.

Without Realmuto’s bat in the lineup, Thomson conceded that the Phillies are optimizing for offense from other spots. A hot streak from Castellanos would help. But the Dahl-Merrifield tandem in left field also figures to outproduce what Rojas was providing in center.

Across the majors, production from outfielders has dropped to a .710 OPS from .746 last season. Even within that context, the Phillies came into the week ranked 27th in the majors in outfielders’ OPS (.625), including 20th in left field (.673) and 27th in center (.575).

Several contenders are looking for outfield help because of injuries. The Braves, for instance, have lost Ronald Acuña Jr. for the season with a torn ACL and Michael Harris II “for a long time,” manager Brian Snitker told reporters, because of a strained hamstring.

So, it figures to be a seller’s market for outfielders. If the White Sox move center fielder Luis Robert Jr., they could bring back a big prospect haul. The Angels’ Taylor Ward, Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr., Nationals’ Lane Thomas, and perhaps the Rays’ Randy Arozarena could also be available.

Or maybe Rojas will do as the Phillies ask and put in the work in triple A to give the team more of what it needs at the major-league level.

To wit: After working in spring training to bunt more effectively, Rojas has only four sacrifice bunts and one bunt hit in six attempts.

“He was [trying to bunt] and he’s not getting them down,” Thomson said. “He needs to do it in a game. There’s a little less pressure and probably a little better opportunity to do it at triple A. It’s the opportunity for Ro to go down and relax and do some work on some things we need him to do work on.”