Johan Rojas is gaining confidence in his bunting ability and it’s paying off for the Phillies

Before every series this season, Johan Rojas is part of a group of Phillies who get in extra bunting work.

Rojas, Brandon Marsh, Bryson Stott, and Edmundo Sosa are the mainstays in the group, with Max Kepler and others occasionally dropping in to work on their skills.

“You’re always improving, always working,” said Paco Figueroa, the Phillies’ outfield and baserunning coach who helps direct the sessions. “You’re just constantly sharpening your knife.”

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The Phillies have been trying to get Rojas to bunt more often for the last several seasons to help capitalize on his speed — Rojas’ sprint speed of 29.7 feet per second is in the 98th percentile in baseball. This year, he’s starting to feel more confident when he squares up.

“He’s got to understand his role, just like every other team and our team, people have roles that they’re expected to work on and be ready for it, and that’s part of his game,” Figueroa said. “So he knows it, and that’s why he puts the work in.”

Rojas had 12 bunt attempts in 2023 and 16 in 2024. Over 28 games, he already has six, two of which were bunt hits.

The Phillies don’t necessarily need Rojas to bunt for a hit on a regular basis, but they do need him to be able to put the ball down when the situation calls for it.

That’s exactly what he did last week against the Tampa Bay Rays, when Rojas executed a safety squeeze. The ball from Rays pitcher Shane Baz was inside, but Rojas was able to adjust in time and lay it down the first base line. J.T. Realmuto scored from third on the play, and Rojas used his speed to end up safe at first.

“I try here [to] bunt a lot, every day,” Rojas said afterward. “Just for that situation too, it’s important for the team.”

In spring training, Figueroa noticed that Rojas was set up too far back in the batter’s box, causing him to bunt the ball foul. This season, Rojas has worked on changing his positioning at the plate so the ball will stay fair more often.

Figueroa thinks the work Rojas has been doing to improve his bunting can be transferable to other aspects of his game.

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“Bunting, for me, helps hitting,” Figueroa said. “Because when you’re doing this, you’re just relaxing your body, and you’re watching the ball come and hit your bat.”

Rojas, who started at center field on Monday against St. Louis, was hitting .284 with 11 RBIs this season. His offensive production when Marsh was on the injured list last month earned him more opportunities, with Phillies manager Rob Thomson working out a plan to keep his bat in the lineup, even against right-handers.

“Now I feel pretty great,” Rojas said. “When I try to bunt, I feel great.”

Lefty Matthew Liberatore started for the Cardinals on Monday, marking the first left-handed starter the Phillies have faced since the Diamondbacks’ Eduardo Rodríguez on May 4. Sosa started at second over Stott and Weston Wilson started in left for Kepler. … José Ruiz (neck spasms) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday. … Andrew Painter is planned to throw five innings and/or 75 pitches in his next triple-A start on Thursday in Syracuse. … Jesús Luzardo (3-0, 2.11 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday against Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray (4-1, 3.50).