Johan Rojas Suspended for 80 Games for Violation of Anti-Doping Policy
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas has been suspended for the first 80 games of the MLB season due to a positive test for the substance Boldenone, the league announced on Monday. Rojas’ suspension became official after a complaint filed by the players’ association, which appealed the sanction, but was rejected by independent arbitrator Martin F. Scheinman.If there are no rain suspensions, Rojas would be eligible to play with the Phillies on June 25. He would lose $395,305 of his salary, which is $803,500 while in the Major Leagues and $321,826 in the minors. If there are no postponements, the suspension would cover 92 days of the 187-day season.
Furthermore, he will not be able to participate in the 2026 postseason.Rojas, 25 years old, batted .224 with one home run, 18 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases for the Phillies last season. He was demoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on August 1 and did not play for Philadelphia for the rest of the season. In the preseason this year, Rojas hit .200 (3 for 15) with one RBI for the Phillies. He has a career average of .252 with six home runs, 73 RBIs, and 51 stolen bases in 250 games. Rojas was scheduled to play for the Dominican Republic team for the World Baseball Classic, but was excluded before the tournament. He is the sixth player sanctioned this year for a drug violation, the third under the Major League agreement. The Atlanta outfielder, Jurickson Profar, was suspended for the season on March 3 after testing positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites. This was Profar’s second offense under the drug rules. Free agent outfielder Max Kepler was suspended for 80 games on January 9 after testing positive for Epitrenbolone.The Phillies fully support MLB’s Joint Prevention and Treatment Program and regret the news of Johan’s violation.
Team Statement
