The Philadelphia Phillies got another key member of their lineup back on Monday with Trea Turner being activated from the 10-day IL ahead of a three-game series against the San Diego Padres. Turner is batting second and playing shortstop in his first game action since going down with a hamstring strain on May 3.
Having Turner back in the second spot in the lineup again comes at the right time, as the Phillies are 5-5 during their last 10 games, and have struggled mightily with Nick Castellanos batting in the two-hole over the last week.
Before injuring his hamstring in early May, Turner was off to a hot start in his second season wearing a Phillies uniform, batting .343 with 47 hits, two home runs, nine RBI, 27 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases in his first 33 games. Adding Turner back to the second spot in the lineup dramatically improves the Philles offense, and Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm can get back to what they do best — driving in runners on base.
Phillies option struggling outfielder Johan Rojas to Triple-A
And with that, Johan Rojas' time as a member of the Phillies 26-man roster has come to an end. The team has opted to send the struggling outfielder to Triple-A to make room for Turner. There was much speculation this past week about who would be staying and who would be going when this move had to be made, and instead of designating David Dahl or Cristian Pache for assignment, the Phillies opted for the path of least resistance with Rojas.
It's a tough blow for Rojas, who won the starting job out of spring training despite struggling for much of his time in the Grapefruit League. The Phillies were confident that more exposure to major league pitching would lead to better results, but Rojas looked overmatched during his 183 at-bats this season, and leaves the Phillies with a .235 batting average, two home runs, and 19 RBI.
Rojas' elite defense has always been his carrying tool, but even that has regressed in 2024 following some poor judgment calls on routes to balls in play, and occasionally over-complicating some routine plays instead of getting easy outs.
He'll head back to Triple-A with some work to do on his game, and it's very possible we'll see Rojas back with the team at some point later this summer. Whatever the case, the roster is getting a massive upgrade with this transaction.