Rob Thomson all but confirms who will be Phillies’ fourth outfielder on Opening Day

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson dodged a major bullet earlier this week after outfielders Brandon Marsh and Max Kepler returned to the lineup only a few days after exiting a spring training game on March 16 for precautionary reasons after being injured on separate plays. Kepler (back contusion) and Marsh (left knee) were back in the lineup on Tuesday and look ready to go for the season opener on March 27.

The possibility that Kepler and Marsh could start the season injured reignited interest in the Phillies' outfield depth and the battle for the fourth outfielder spot that has been playing out since the beginning of spring training. While a handful of players such as Cal Stevenson, Matt Kroon, Gabriel Rincones Jr. and Buddy Kennedy have all made convincing cases in camp to fill the role, it's looking more likely that a familiar name will be heading north with the big club to take on the Washington Nationals next week.

Rob Thomson makes it sound like Johan Rojas will be the Phillies’ fourth outfielder on Opening Day

Johan Rojas entered spring training camp with a lot to prove after a mostly disappointing 2024 season that saw him briefly demoted to Triple-A in order to work on his hitting approach. While Rojas' defense in center field is certainly Gold Glove-caliber, it's his bat that has continued to lag behind his carrying skill. That's a major reason the Phillies were compelled to sign Max Kepler to a one-year free agent deal during the offseason.

The positive is that Rojas arrived at spring training fresh off of winning Dominican Winter League Rookie of the Year honors during a productive offseason. But the 24-year-old entered camp dealing with a right shoulder injury that has limited him to designated hitter duties so far in exhibition play. During an in-game interview between NBC Sports Philadelphia and Thomson during Wednesday's spring training telecast against the New York Yankees, Thomson announced that Rojas will make his first start of the spring in center field on Thursday.

"Rojas threw to the bases again today and he slid and he's ready to play tomorrow [Thursday], he's going to play center field," said Thomson. "He's done a lot of work in the outfield, power shagging everyday, he does a really good job at that. He's in great shape, he played winter ball, so I'm not to concerned about building his innings pretty quick."

Rojas has been impressive at the plate in his 37 plate appearances so far this spring and is batting .303 with 10 hits, two home runs and seven RBI in 12 games. In addition to his solid spring numbers, Rojas' top competition for the fourth outfielder role, Weston Wilson, is currently rehabbing an oblique injury that will require an IL stint to begin the season. These factors make it all the more likely that Rojas will begin the season in the Phillies outfield mix, and that seems even more certain after Thomson spoke about his early season plans for the outfield.

"If Rojas makes the club, then if I want to give Marsh the day off, I can play Rojas and Kepler. If I want to give Kepler the day off, I can play Marsh and Rojas. But I want to see those guys [Marsh and Kepler] against lefties and see what they can do," added Thomson.

There's little doubt that Rojas can impact the game in multiple ways with his speed and his elite defensive play in the outfield. And following encouraging signs that his approach at the plate has shown improvement in exhibition play, the idea of the Phillies carrying him as a fourth outfielder to begin the season starts to make a lot of sense. But with Kepler and Marsh each no strangers to IL stints throughout their careers, Rojas is going to have to hit enough when called upon to prevent the Phillies from optioning him to Triple-A for a second consecutive season.

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