Rob Thomson knows the Philadelphia Phillies still have a few areas to clean up, but the absence of Brandon Marsh isn’t one of them. That’s because the player filling in for Marsh has been playing exceptionally well — so much so that he’s earned praise from the manager.
“He’s playing pretty good,” Thomson said about Johan Rojas following the Phillies’ game against the Marlins. “As long as he’s doing that, I think I’d just keep running him out there. … He’s making contact, he’s bunting at the right time, he’s using the entire field.”
And it’s not just words from the manager — the numbers back it up. Since April 13, Rojas has posted a .295 batting average and has played in nearly every MLB game except April 15, when he wasn’t in the outfield.
When could Brandon Marsh return?
According to Thomson, Rojas will remain in the outfield until Marsh is fully recovered and at full speed to play again with the Phillies. While Marsh continues his rehab, he’s traveling with the team.
Johan Rojas #23 of the Philadelphia Phillies at bat during a game against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park on April 14, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
“He’ll go on the road with us and continue to keep running and doing his drill work,” Thomson said. “Once he can run at 100 percent, we’ll send him (to Lehigh Valley) and get some at-bats.”
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Should Rojas replace Marsh permanently?
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Rojas is outperforming Marsh so far
In his most recent outing, Rojas recorded a hit despite striking out twice. He now has 11 hits this season — significantly more than Marsh, who has just 4 hits in 17 games in 2025. Since April 13 alone, Rojas has racked up 7 hits and scored 5 runs.
