March 03, 2026
Kate Frese/Kate Frese for PhillyVoice
Johan Rojas will reportedly be suspended for a PED violation.
Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas, who is competing in Clearwater for a bench job this spring, is reportedly facing an 80-game suspension along with the postseason for a performance-enhancing drug violation.
MLB hasn't yet made an announcement, but MLB Insider Jon Heyman confirmed a report from Wilber Sánchez that Rojas had tested positive for banned substances and would also be ineligible to represent the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.
Here's the initial report from Sánchez:
SOURCE: Johan Rojas tests positive for banned substance
— Wilber Sánchez (@wilberdata) March 2, 2026
Dominican outfielder Johan Rojas of the Philadelphia Phillies has tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance and will not be eligible to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
The suspension rules him… pic.twitter.com/VuZxh9o8Tl
Phillies OF Johan Rojas did fail a test for PEDs. He, like Profar, is appealing the positive test. @wilberdata 1st reported Rojas’ failed test.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 3, 2026
Alvarado served his suspension last season while Kepler, whose violation was announced in January, will serve the suspension this season. Kepler is a free agent and hasn't yet signed with any team.
Rojas, like Kepler and Alvarado, didn't perform well last season. He played 106 games between Triple-A Lehigh Valley and the big-league club, 71 of which came in the majors. In those 71 games, he slashed .224/.280/.289, striking out 40 times in 152 at-bats. He performed much better at Lehigh Valley, slashing .279/.338/.361.
Rohas, a speedster who can cover ground quickly in center, just hasn't fared well over the past two years since breaking into the bigs in 2023 and slashing and giving the Phillies a major boost into the postseason. That year, he slashed .302/.342/.430 and stole 14 bases in 15 attempts in 50 games, becoming a regular for a Phillies team that lost to the Diamondbacks in the National League Championship Series.
This year, he was competing for the fifth outfield spot behind Adolis García, Justin Crawford, Brandon Marsh and Otto Kemp. The Phillies also have 26-year-old former Astros outfielder Pedro León in camp, along with some prospects and 33-year-old non-roster invitee Dylan Moore, a utility who has played more than 220 games in the outfield during his seven-year career.
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