Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas is challenging a potential 80-game ban from Major League Baseball after allegedly failing a drug test for performance-enhancing substances, according to a source with knowledge of the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The source requested anonymity since MLB has not yet made any public announcement regarding the positive test result.
According to the drug policy agreement between Major League Baseball and the players’ union, appeals for initial positive tests involving performance-enhancing drugs must be completed before any disciplinary action is publicly disclosed.
The 25-year-old player, who first joined the major leagues in 2023, was recently removed from the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic team, as confirmed by team general manager Nelson Cruz during a Monday press conference.
During the previous season, Rojas recorded a .224 batting average along with one home run, 18 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases for Philadelphia. The team sent him down to their Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley on August 1st, and he remained there for the rest of the season. This spring training, Rojas has managed just one hit in 11 at-bats.
Throughout his professional career spanning 250 games, Rojas maintains a .252 batting average with six home runs, 73 RBIs, and 51 stolen bases.
