There wasn’t much hope that Major League Baseball would reduce or nullify the 80-game suspension of outfielder Johan Rojas. What was a long shot at best became reality on Monday and Rojas will have to sit out the first 80 games of the season and will also be unavailable for the postseason.
While expected, the suspension is still of significance to the Phillies and a disappointing development for both Rojas and the Phillies. Major League Baseball handed Rojas an 80-game suspension earlier this spring after he tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance Boldenone, a violation of the league’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
For a player who was competing for a roster spot and trying to solidify his role in the outfield, the suspension is a major setback. The suspension first came to light earlier in March when Rojas was unexpectedly removed from the Dominican Republic roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. At the time, the absence raised questions, but it soon became clear that a positive drug test was behind the decision. Normally, suspensions of this sort are kept private and not even disclosed to the team until after the player has either accepted the suspension or the appeal process has played out. Rojas’ inclusion in the WBC likely led to a leak of why he was removed from the Dominican Republic team.
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For the Phillies, the suspension creates some roster uncertainty.
The Phillies are not exactly stocked with reserve outfielders. With Rojas removed from consideration, the battle for a bench spot now comes down to Bryan De La Cruz, Dylan Moore, and Garrett Stubbs, who has recently been working to learn left field in hopes of securing a spot on the Phillies roster. The Phillies have four roster spots set for outfielders with Brandon Marsh and Otto Kemp platooning in left field, rookie Justin Crawford taking over in center field, and free agent signee Adolis Garcia playing right. Edmundo Sosa, who also has a roster spot, can play left field if necessary, but is not seen as a legitimate backup outfielder.
While Marsh could slide over to center field, the Phillies wouldn’t be enamored with having Kemp play every day in left field. The Phillies were also working with first base prospect Keaton Anthony, who is blocked by Bryce Harper, to learn left field. That experiment ended with Anthony fouled a ball off of his foot and broke a bone, which required surgery to repair. Anthony will open the season on the IL with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
The Phillies lost reliever Jose Alvarado for 80 games and the postseason last year when he was suspended under the league substance abuse policy. This winter, former Phillies outfielder Max Kepler, who is unsigned as a free agent, also tested positive for a banned substance.
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