The Philadelphia Phillies wasted no time making significant roster adjustments, announcing on Friday the additions of Harrison Bader and reliever Jhoan Duran to the active 26-man roster. To make room, outfielder Johan Rojas was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and right-hander Daniel Robert was placed on the 15-day injured list with a blister on his middle finger.

Rojas, 24, had been valued mainly for his defense in center field, but his offensive production lagged. Over 71 games, he hit just .224 with a .569 OPS. His OPS+ of 58 placed him well below league average, leading the front office to make a tough but calculated decision.

Robert, acquired from Texas earlier this season, appeared in 12 games for Philadelphia and posted a 5.79 ERA in 9.1 innings. The blister issue — retroactive to July 30 — opened the door for a bullpen shakeup, especially with Duran officially stepping into the closer role, something the team hadn't established in years.

Duran, who will wear No. 59, is now expected to handle closing duties, a move confirmed by manager Rob Thomson and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. Thomson changed his jersey number to 49 as a tribute to his friend Ron Guidry, joking that his wife was the only one upset about the switch since all her gear featured the previous number.

Bader, set to wear No. 2, was not in the lineup for the Phillies' first game against the Tigers, but his message was clear: he's here to compete. “I've been injected into a playoff race, and all the notions of ego are me, me, and my playing time. That will go out the window,” Bader said. “I'm here to win. I'm here to help this team win. I want a shot at the World Series,” he added, according to CBS News.

With Bader sharing center field duties with Brandon Marsh and Max Kepler rotating in left alongside Otto Kemp, the Phillies head into August with a retooled outfield and defined bullpen roles. Meanwhile, David Robertson could join the roster as early as next week, signaling that Philadelphia might still have more moves to make as the postseason push intensifies.

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