Multiple reports say Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas tested positive for a banned substance, which has already knocked him out of the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The bigger question now sits right behind it: Does Major League Baseball follow with discipline, or does this stay strictly in the WBC lane?

Here’s what we know.

What happened with Johan Rojas?

Latin American reporter Wilber Sánchez posted on X that: “Dominican outfielder Johan Rojas of the Philadelphia Phillies has tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance and will not be eligible to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.”

Forbes also reported that Rojas was expected to report with the Dominican Republic roster but was “evidently missing,” and that the report about a positive test surfaced in the wake of that absence.

The Liberty Line similarly reported that Rojas “tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance and will not be eligible to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.”

Why the World Baseball Classic decision does not automatically answer the MLB question

Here is the key nuance. The Liberty Line points out that the World Baseball Classic and MLB operate under different testing programs and rules. That removal from the WBC does not automatically translate into an 80-game MLB suspension.

Forbes reported that there was early speculation the issue could have been marijuana, which the WBC bans but MLB does not. Forbes adds that Sánchez indicated that was not the case, and that MLB punishment could still be coming.

As of the reporting cited above, this story remains in that uncomfortable in between: WBC consequences appear immediate, while MLB’s official next step remains unclear.

Johan Rojas was already fighting for air in this outfield picture

Even before this news, the on-field context looked tense.

Rojas has built his MLB identity around speed and defence. He was born Aug. 14, 2000, in San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic. Tojas’s MLB debut date is July 15, 2023. He signed with the Phillies as an international free agent in 2018.

But the bat has stayed inconsistent. Forbes reported he “batted just .224 last year,” while pointing out his defence as his calling card and noting he has struggled to claim an everyday role.

The Liberty Line framed it similarly, saying his defence remained solid, but his offence did not make him a lock “on a roster full of outfield options,” and that he would have needed to earn his way onto the team even without this cloud.

The quote still hanging over this report

Sánchez’s post also included a line that pushes the story into MLB territory, even before MLB confirms anything: “The suspension rules him out of the international tournament and also affects his battle for an outfield spot during the team’s spring training.”

Forbes reported an additional line attributed to Sánchez late Sunday night: “In the next few hours, MLB will make it official.”

That has not happened in the sources cited here yet, but the statement explains why this feels bigger than a WBC roster update.

The Phillies have dealt with PED headlines recently, and fans notice patterns

The Liberty Line pointed to two recent Phillies-related PED storylines: reliever José Alvarado’s 80-game suspension in 2025, and Max Kepler’s suspension in January 2026.

MLB’s own reporting confirms Alvarado received an 80-game suspension on May 18, 2025, following a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance. MLB also announced Kepler’s 80-game suspension on Jan. 9, 2026, after a positive test for epitrenbolone, a performance-enhancing substance, under the league’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

None of that proves anything about this specific report involving Rojas. It does explain why the moment a story like this breaks, the landscape changes.

Where this leaves Johan Rojas right now

Based on the reporting so far, one thing looks settled: the WBC is off the table.

Everything else remains pending. If MLB confirms a violation under its own program, the consequences could change Rojas’s season, not just his international plans. If MLB does not, the impact may centre on reputation, roster competition, and how every at-bat is read this spring.

Tags:

Share this Story