The long wait for the 2025 MLB playoffs is nearly over for Philadelphia Phillies fans. This year's team proved to everyone outside of Philadelphia, and those doubters in Philly, that they are indeed one of the best teams in Major League Baseball with a 96-win regular season.
Despite finishing with the second-best record in baseball, they still have much to prove in Red October after back-to-back years of disappointing postseason showings. With the National League Division Series scheduled to get underway on Saturday, the NL East champion Phillies are preparing during their first-round bye this week at Citizens Bank Park.
To help them out, the Phillies will have a group of players training with them as part of their "stay hot" camp, as the team is calling it. This group, as reported last week by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Lochlahn March, consists of right-handers Nolan Hoffman, Alan Rangel and Seth Johnson. Position players include catcher Caleb Ricketts, outfielder Johan Rojas and utility players Rafael Lantigua and Donovan Walton.
Johan Rojas rejoins Phillies as part of 'stay hot' camp for 2025 MLB playoffs
All of those players in the stay hot camp, save for Ricketts, saw varying amounts of time with the big-league club this season. There's one name that's sure to jump out at Phillies fans, however, and that's Rojas.
There had been rumblings that manager Rob Thomson might want to add the speedy outfielder to the postseason roster as a bench piece. Those came to a screeching halt on Tuesday, however. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski revealed that Rojas won't be on the NLDS roster as he recovers from a quad injury. He could be available for the NLCS.
After making the team out of spring training, Rojas spent four months with the Phillies before being pushed out of the outfield picture by the trade deadline addition of Harrison Bader. The 25-year-old was optioned to Triple-A on Aug. 1 after struggling at the plate, slashing .224/.280/.289 in 172 plate appearances.
Rojas does, however, offer speed on the bases and superb defense, with multiple shining postseason moments for the Phillies. You probably recall his catch in the 2023 NLDS against the Atlanta Braves, when he made a game-saving catch to rob Ronald Acuña Jr. of extra bases. If you don't, here's a refresher:
JOHAN ROJAS, YOU BEAUTIFUL HUMAN pic.twitter.com/DLWja1CH0K
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 13, 2023
The stay hot group is more important than just being extra bodies to help the Phillies practice and prepare for October baseball. They could eventually wind up on the roster and playing in playoff games. Any player on the 40-man roster is eligible for the postseason (as long as they were added before Sept. 1) and can be substituted for an injured player during a round.
There's always a chance that others are added to the group. Perhaps right-handed reliever Max Lazar will stick around to stay ready and potentially earn an NLDS roster spot in the bullpen. Lazar, who posted a 4.79 ERA in 41 1/3 innings this season, was optioned on the final day of the season to make room on the active roster for shortstop Trea Turner.
The Phillies will announce their NLDS roster on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 4, with Game 1 scheduled for later that day at The Bank. But we know that Rojas won't be on it.