The 2026 MLB season was mostly going to be a wash for Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas .
He received an 80-game suspension , without pay, on March 16, 2026, when he tested positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing substance, which put him in violation of the league's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
He was also not eligible to play in the postseason, a similar situation to what the Phillies went through with Jose Alvarado last year. Alas, he would be allowed to play during the regular season and was eligible to return to the field on June 25.
He was just starting his rehab assignment, ramping up his baseball activity, but that has now come to an end. As if the suspension wasn't bad enough for Rojas, he is now dealing with a serious injury.
Jul 23, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas (23) hits an RBI single against the Boston Red Sox in the eleventh inning at Citizens Bank Park. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The Phillies shared a statement that the veteran outfielder will miss the entire 2026 season because he has suffered an elbow injury that requires internal brace surgery. He felt discomfort while ramping up his rehab, and the injury was discovered.
"Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas recently felt right medial elbow discomfort while ramping up baseball activities in preparation to return from his suspension. Evaluation and imaging revealed an ulnar collateral ligament tear that will require surgical repair with internal brace. The surgery will be scheduled in the next couple of weeks with the plan for Rojas to be ready to participate at spring training in 2027," read a statement from the team.
This is a brutal blow for Rojas, who likely would have had a role with the Major League team. Outside of Brandon Marsh , Philadelphia's outfielders have struggled at points this season to produce at the plate, defensively in the field, or in some cases, both.
Rojas showed real promise during his rookie year when he produced a .302/.342/.430 slash line in 164 plate appearances with a 110 OPS+ and 14 stolen bases. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to get close to that level of production at the plate since.
In 191 games and 535 plate appearances in 2024 and 2025, he has produced a .237/.279/.312 slash line, and an OPS+ of 64. While certainly underwhelming with the bat, he could have helped the team off the bench as a fourth outfielder.
Marsh, Justin Crawford and Adolis Garcia have been the main starters in the outfield this season, with a rotating cast of players operating as depth behind them. None of those depth pieces have been able to secure a role , which would have made the speed and defense Rojas provides an asset for interim manager Don Mattingly to deploy during the season.
Instead, they will have to find other options, with Rojas being out for the duration of the campaign.
Sign up for our free newsletter to receive the latest news and updates!
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/phillies/onsi as Phillies Share Brutal News on Johan Rojas Preparing for Return From Suspension .
