Phillies’ rest-of-spring storylines: Johan Rojas’ progress, Taijuan Walker’s knee, and more

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Three weeks down since Phillies pitchers and catchers reported for work, three weeks to go until opening day. It’s so close that you can almost taste the dollar — uh, buy-one, get-one — hot dogs at Citizens Bank Park.

Too soon? OK, too soon.

But Wednesday felt like a perfect time to think about the roster for the March 28 opener against the archrival Braves. There wasn’t much else to do on the Phillies’ first scheduled day off, other than catching your breath after watching top prospect Justin Crawford blaze around the bases on a stand-up triple in a three-inning minor-league scrimmage.

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The first half of camp was mostly positive for the Phillies, who added depth and versatility by signing free-agent utility man Whit Merrifield to a one-year, $8 million contract last month and locked up ace Zack Wheeler this week with a three-year, $126 million contract extension.

And other than the virus that has overrun the clubhouse over the last week, almost everyone has stayed healthy.

Things have a way of changing quickly. (The memory of Rhys Hoskins’ season-ending ACL tear last March 23 is still fresh.) But barring the unexpected, three things will command our attention over the final 19 days in Florida.

All along, the Phillies said they wouldn’t judge Rojas’ readiness to hit major-league pitching by his spring-training numbers. For the moment, then, let’s put aside that he’s 4-for-20 with a triple and six strikeouts.

“He’s about 80% there,” hitting coach Kevin Long said Tuesday. “I told him we’ve probably got the hardest 20% left. But I think he’s moving in the right direction. He knows what the final steps are.”

Long explained, in layman’s terms, that he wants Rojas’ legs and hands to work in concert more seamlessly. It’s a common issue for young hitters with speed, according to Long, who went through it 15 years ago with former Yankees center fielder Brett Gardner. They want to make contact and run, often at the expense of proper swing mechanics.

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“They sort of have a default mode,” said Long, who worked with Rojas on simplifying his stance. “I saw Gardner do it all the time, and then he started figuring out, ‘All these ground balls I hit, I’m out.’ They’re strong enough where, I said Gardner was going to be a 15-20-home run guy, and he was. That’s what Rojas is when he learns how to use his lower half.”

Here, then, is the question: Can Rojas keep learning on the job in the majors, or does he need time in triple A? And given his elite defense in center field, can the Phillies live with a No. 9 hitter who isn’t a finished product yet at the plate?

“He’s a major league hitter,” Long said. “I’m not so concerned about, does he belong here? I think he does. I know he does. He does enough things.”

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To wit: Rojas bunted for a hit Monday against the Blue Jays, something Long wants him to attempt at least once a game in spring training.

The Phillies have alternatives. Brandon Marsh is taking batting practice and closing in on getting into games after arthroscopic left knee surgery on Feb. 9. He could slide over to center field, and Merrifield could start in left.

But Rojas remains the favorite to win the center-field job. It would probably take a notable regression at the plate — or worse, an all-out cratering — to push him off the roster.

Results will matter soon enough, though. And the quality of the at-bats is well worth watching.

Last spring, Walker made his first Grapefruit League start on March 3 before joining Team Mexico for the World Baseball Classic, where he pitched once on 10 days’ rest. He made two more starts after coming back to the Phillies, but pitched a total of 13⅓ innings in 24 days.

The point is, the veteran righty has had stop-and-go springs before.

So, manager Rob Thomson isn’t freaking out because Walker hasn’t gotten into a game yet. But he did concede Tuesday that “you don’t want guys behind schedule.”

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Especially considering the Phillies’ challenges with pitching depth.

Walker’s tardiness stems from going home for a few days last week for “personal reasons,” according to Thomson, then feeling soreness in his right knee while throwing live batting practice last Thursday. He got back on the mound Monday for a bullpen session that Thomson said went “really good.”

Thomson outlined a plan for Walker to throw live batting practice in a few days, then possibly start a game “Sunday or Monday.” In that scenario, he’d have ample time to get ready for the season.

Otherwise, the Phillies may have to tap into Spencer Turnbull, who has been out sick for a few days. Or Max Castillo. Or Nick Nelson. Or, or, or ...

In the absence of an honest-to-goodness positional competition, Bryce Harper’s acclimation to being a full-time first baseman, Trea Turner’s defense at shortstop, and Wheeler’s new splitter are reasons to tune into the rest of the Grapefruit League.

But if you crave drama, the bottom of the roster will have to suffice.

Jake Cave or Cristian Pache for the final bench spot? Cave is 31, has left-handed power, and plays multiple positions (outfield, first base); Pache is 25, bats right-handed, runs well, and plays exceptional defense in the outfield. Neither can be sent to triple A without being exposed to waivers.

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“You can look at it a bunch of different ways with that last guy,” Thomson said recently. “Do you want a true center fielder? Or do you want a right-handed bat? A left-handed bat? Do you want a guy that can come off the bench and steal a base? Toward the end, we’ll sit down and try to figure out which way we go.”

Turnbull or Dylan Covey as the long reliever? Right shoulder tightness could remove Covey from the mix and open the door for Turnbull, who can only be sent to triple A with his consent.

A dark horse: Castillo, who hasn’t allowed a run in five innings so far.

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