Phillies Promote Johan Rojas

10:30am: The Phils have now announced the moves, listing Pache’s injury as right elbow irritation. His IL placement is retroactive to July 11.

9:20am: The Phillies are going to promote outfielder Johan Rojas to the major leagues, as first reported by Mike Rodriguez. The move is also relayed by Matt Gelb of The Athletic, who adds that outfielder Cristian Pache seems to be heading to the injured list. He also adds that Drew Ellis will take the roster spot of Josh Harrison, who was placed on the injured list during the All-Star break due to a right wrist contusion. Rojas is already on the 40-man roster but will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.

Rojas, 22, was part of the Phillies’ 2017-2018 international signing class and ascended to the radar of prospect evaluators in the years that followed. Baseball America ranked him the club’s #11 prospect in 2020 and he’s been in the top 10 in each season since. His speed and defense are considered his standout traits, and he has showcased those wheels by stealing 159 bases in 430 minor league games thus far in his career. Defensively, he’s mostly played center field but has also slotted into a corner on occasion.

His offense, however, has generally been considered a bit behind those traits.  In 2021, he hit .262/.329/.417 in the lower levels of the farm system for a wRC+ of 102. Last year, he split his time between High-A and Double-A, slashing just .244/.309/.354 for a wRC+ of 83. Despite those tepid results at the plate, the Phils liked the overall package enough that they didn’t want to risk losing him in the Rule 5 draft and thus added him to their roster in November.

The Phils returned him to Double-A this year and the results have been far more encouraging, as he’s hit .306/.361/.484 for a wRC+ of 129, stealing 30 bases in the process. That strong showing will get him a shot in the big leagues, jumping right over the Triple-A level.

The club could have recalled more experienced players on their roster such as Jake Cave or Simón Muzziotti, both of whom are on the 40-man roster, currently in Triple-A and have already been to the big leagues. But it’s possible that this promotion is for a part-time role that suits the skill set of Rojas. The club generally has an outfield of Brandon Marsh, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos on most days. Perhaps Rojas will take over Pache’s role, taking the occasional start in center while also serving as a defensive replacement or pinch runner.

The exact nature of Pache’s injury isn’t known, as Gelb only reports that it is minor. His upcoming placement on the IL can be backdated due to the recent All-Star break, so it’s possible that Rojas gets a brief taste of the major leagues before heading back down to the farm.