Philadelphia Phillies rookie Johan Rojas wasted no time making a splash in his Major League debut on Saturday. Just a day after being called up from Double-A, the 22-year-old outfielder delivered a memorable defensive play against the San Diego Padres.
During the first inning of the doubleheader's opening game, Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. stepped up to bat with a runner on first. Tatis connected, sending a fly ball towards center field. Rojas, tracking the ball with precision, made the catch while colliding with the outfield wall.
But Rojas's play didn't end there. He quickly realized that Padres baserunner Ha-Seong Kim had strayed too far from first. With impressive awareness and a powerful throw, Rojas fired the ball to first base, where Kim was tagged out, completing an electrifying double play.
Rojas's promotion to the majors came as a result of Phillies outfielder Cristian Pache being placed on the 10-day injured list. Before his call-up, the young outfielder was showcasing his talents at Double-A, boasting a .306 batting average, .361 on-base percentage, and a .484 slugging percentage, along with 20 doubles, five triples, and nine home runs. While Rojas went 0-3 at the plate in his debut game, his defensive prowess undoubtedly left a lasting impression. The Phillies secured a victory in the first game, bringing their season total to 49 wins, though they remain 12.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.
