Johan

Rojas

It’s unusual to see Marsh sitting against an opposing right-hander, but perhaps it’s just the Phillies’ way of easing him back into full-time action following his return from the injured list. Johan Rojas will start in his place in center field and bat ninth against Luis L. Ortiz on Sunday evening.

It’s not a bad idea for Marsh to spend some extra time away from the diamond right now since he’s been ice-cold at the dish this season, hitting .095 (4-for-42) with one homer and five RBI in 17 games. It’ll be Johan Rojas taking over as Philadelphia’s primary center field in his absence.

Marsh reportedly tweaked his knee while chasing a ball out in center field, and he’ll meet with team doctors. Knee issues have been a problem for the 27-year-old in the past, so there’s a bit of added reason for concern. His status should be updated before Friday’s contest, but for now, Johan Rojas will handle center for the Phillies in Marsh’s absence.

Marsh will get the finale off Thursday with Johan Rojas getting a start in center for the Phillies against Jordan Hicks and the San Francisco bullpen.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said on Monday that he was planning to give Marsh three straight days off, but that’s obviously changed. Johan Rojas is back on the bench on Tuesday after starting over Marsh Monday night.

It’s a much-needed mental reset for Marsh, who has gone hitless in his last 26 at-bats. The 27-year-old is batting .108 (4-for-37) with one homer through 14 games. Hopefully the extra time off results in a fresh start. It’ll be Johan Rojas getting some extra playing time over the next couple days.

Marsh played against a lefty yesterday and went 0-for-3 in the Phillies’ shutout loss. That he’s now sitting against a righty is the opposite of how things usually work, but the Phillies must think he needs to clear his head. He’s just 4-for-37 on the season. Johan Rojas is starting in center tonight.

Even though he had to overcome a shoulder injury that limited him to DH duties initially, Rojas hit .292/.346/.479 this spring. The Phillies are saying that neither Max Kepler nor Brandon Marsh will be platoon guys initially, but Rojas belongs in center at least against lefties, if not on a full-time basis.

Rojas will make his return to the outfield after being limited to DH due to his shoulder injury. The 24-year-old should be ready to roll for the start of the campaign, but he offers minimal fantasy upside even playing in a solid Philadelphia lineup.

Rojas still isn’t playing the field because of a shoulder injury, but he’s had an impressive stretch at the plate, hitting .308/.378/.515 in 37 plate appearances. It’ll be interesting to see what the Phillies do if Rojas continues to hit capably into the regular season. As just a 90 OPS+ guy, he’d most likely be an upgrade over Nick Castellanos, given the lift he’d provide to the team’s outfield defense.