May 2, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies second base Bryson Stott (5) and outfielder Johan Rojas (23) high five after a victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher
Friday didn't seem like a game that Johan Rojas was going to play a major role in.
A night after he stretched a double into a triple with two outs in the ninth inning — a decision that pretty much everyone, including Rob Thomson, agreed wasn't worth the risk down two runs — Rojas wasn't in the starting lineup. Thomson insisted before the game that while he did talk to Rojas about the situation, Cal Stevenson starting in center field over him wasn't punishment for the poor decision Thursday night. Thomson added that Rojas was dealing with some general soreness, and may not be in the lineup Saturday either.
That created two camps on social media. The first straight up didn't believe what Thomson said, and thought it was a little too coincidental that Rojas wasn't in the lineup Friday. The second took the manager at his word, and assumed the 24-year-old probably wouldn't play at all Friday night.
As it turned out, both were wrong. Evidently the soreness Rojas was feeling couldn't have been that bad or he wouldn't have entered the game as a replacement for Stevenson in the top of the eighth inning. At the same time, if Rojas was secretly being punished by Thomson, he probably wouldn't have factored into the equation Friday.
And boy, did he factor in.
Despite going 0-for-1, Rojas made the play of the game in the top of the ninth inning when Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a 99 mph sinker from José Alvarado to the State Farm sign adjacent to Monty's Angle in left-center field:
Johan Rojas, are you kidding?! 🤯
(Via @PhilsTailgate)
pic.twitter.com/4zop71h8Dn
Alvarado closed out the game two batters later, and the Phillies banked a win against a team they could ultimately be competing with for a postseason spot or playoff positioning down the road.
However Thomson may have felt about Rojas' ninth inning Thursday, he was pretty happy with how things played out Friday night.
"It was great," Thomson said. "I mean, unbelievable catch, it really was. He made a couple good catches tonight."
Thomson wasn't immediately sure after the game how Rojas — who appeared to get the wind knocked out of him when he made the catch — would feel because it can sometimes take a little while for a player to start to ache after they make such a violent play.
For his part, Rojas seemed fine after the game.
"I feel fine," Rojas said.
Johan Rojas on how he feels after crashing into the wall making his catch in the ninth: “I feel fine — the best because we win.”
(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/ZlH9cpG17B
OK, but did Rojas think when it was hit that he was going to get it?
"I just saw the ball and I ran to the wall because I knew he hit it hard," Rojas said. "And I just said, 'you have to run' and go get it."
His teammates were happy to elaborate about the catch after the game.
"It was something amazing,"Alvarado said through interpreter Diego D'Aniello. "That just shows how important it is to stay in the game and stay locked in during the game because the final three outs are always the hardest of the game."
Jesús Luzardo watched the catch from the clubhouse, but nonetheless came away impressed.
"It was incredible," Luzardo said. "He runs it down back there. [He's] extremely talented and we're lucky to have him, so we're happy for him."
What a difference a few hours can make, huh?
In the end, while a notable portion of the pre and postgame conversation centered around Rojas, he turned it back to his team, which improved to 18-14 with Friday's victory.
"Luzardo threw a great game ... the bullpen did a great job and the guys hit the ball well, too," Rojas said. "I feel fine — the best, because we win."
