Pirates' Termarr Johnson: Injures leg during AFL game
Rotowire
Johnson was removed from an Arizona Fall League game Tuesday with a right foot injury, Jack Sommers of SI.com reports.
Johnson wasn't able to put any weight on his right leg/foot after taking a swing and had to be carried off the field by trainers. The 20-year-old infielder had been looking to build off a season that saw him slash .235/.363/.383 across 546 plate appearances between High-A and Double-A, but it appears he could be held out of action for a while.
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Pirates' Termarr Johnson: Moves up to Double-A
Rotowire
The Pirates promoted Johnson from High-A Greensboro to Double-A Altoona on Sunday, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The 20-year-old will move up to Altoona after slashing .236/.369/.382 with 13 home runs and 20 stolen bases across 489 plate appearances with Greensboro. Johnson has split time between second base and shortstop this season, but the keystone will likely be his long-term home once he reaches the big leagues.
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Pirates' Termarr Johnson: Hitting below Mendoza Line
Rotowire
Johnson is hitting .172 with a .390 OBP, one home run and four steals in 31 games for High-A Greensboro.
Johnson was touted by some evaluators as the best prep hitter since Joe Mauer or Ken Griffey Jr. when he was drafted fourth overall in 2022, so it's a bit jarring to see his career average sitting at .227. His career OBP is .409, and that's the area of his game he has leaned into thus far, as he is swinging less than 45 percent of the time and making contact less than 65 percent of the time. Once his luck on balls in play (.242 BABIP) stabilizes, his season line should look a bit better, but it's certainly been a disappointing return trip to the Sally League for Johnson, who turns 20 in June.
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Pirates' Termarr Johnson: Promoted to High-A
Rotowire
Johnson was promoted from Single-A Bradenton to High-A Greensboro on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old second baseman slashed .244/.419/.448 with 13 home runs and seven steals in 75 games at Single-A, and he had been walking more than striking out over the past six weeks, so it was time for a new challenge. Johnson's bat will carry him, so if he keeps hitting he will keep climbing through the minors and could make his big league debut in a couple years.
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Pirates' Termarr Johnson: Leaves game with calf cramp
Rotowire
Johnson left Sunday's game with Low-A Bradenton in the sixth inning with a calf cramp, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports. He went 2-for-4 with a home run and a double in Bradenton's 9-4 win over Dunedin prior to his departure.
The fourth overall pick in last year's draft, Johnson is starting to live up to those lofty expectations. He's now homered in four of his last five games, including Sunday prior to his exit. Johnson's calf issue doesn't sound like anything that will derail his rhythm at the plate, but if the Pirates have any concerns with his health whatsoever, they will play things cautiously.
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Pirates' Termarr Johnson: Cutting strikeouts at Single-A
Rotowire
Johnson is hitting .355 with five home runs and more walks (10) than strikeouts (eight) in his last nine games for Single-A Bradenton.
Strikeouts were a big issue for Johnson earlier in the year, so it's encouraging to see him dialed in at the plate. He now leads the Florida State League with a .425 OBP and ranks second with a 149 wRC+. Johnson has 10 errors in 31 games at second base this year, and he has only made five starts at shortstop.
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Pirates' Termarr Johnson: Running again
Rotowire
Johnson (hamstring) is in the midst of the second week of his running progression, but the Pirates believe he may need longer than his initial projected recovery timeline of 4-to-6 weeks before he's ready to make his 2023 debut, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
Stumpf notes that Johnson hasn't hit any roadblocks in his recovery from the right hamstring strain he suffered in late February, but his season debut is expected to be pushed back further because the Pirates identified aspects of his running mechanics that they were wanting to fix. The No. 4 overall selection in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft, Johnson finished his first professional season at Single-A Bradenton and will either report to that affiliate once healthy or make the jump to High-A Greensboro.
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Pirates' Termarr Johnson: Will miss at least six total weeks
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Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk told reporters that Johnson (hamstring) is expected to miss at least six weeks from his original injury date of Feb. 21, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports.
Johnson strained his right hamstring while taking part in MLB camp. The fourth pick of the 2022 MLB Draft will be out of action for at least another few weeks, and the Pirates will certainly not rush one of their most important young players back onto the field. There should be more updates on Johnson's status in the coming weeks.
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Pirates' Termarr Johnson: Returned to minor-league camp
Rotowire
Johnson (hamstring) was returned to minor-league camp by the Pirates on Friday.
Johnson strained his right hamstring earlier this week, leading to his exit from big-league camp before games even began. He wasn't in the mix for a roster spot anyway, with the 18-year-old top prospect likely to be assigned to A-ball once he's healthy.
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Pirates' Termarr Johnson: Dealing with hamstring strain
Rotowire
Johnson is expected to be re-evaluated in 10-to-14 days after sustaining a right hamstring strain Tuesday, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
How quickly Johnson returns to action has implications for his development as a prospect, but even if he quickly moves past the hamstring injury and impresses in the minors, he won't be a serious candidate to join the Pirates at any point in the 2023 season. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 first-year player draft slashed .278/.408/.472 with one home run and four stolen bases across 49 plate appearances in his first taste of full-season ball at Single-A Bradenton late last season.
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Pirates' Termarr Johnson: Injures hamstring in camp
Rotowire
Johnson injured his right hamstring in Pirates camp Tuesday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Something happened just as Johnson was preparing to take live batting practice, and Pirates manager Derek Shelton said there should be more news on the severity of the issue come Wednesday. Johnson, 18, was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of a high school in Georgia. He is widely viewed as a top-50 prospect leading into the 2023 campaign.
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Pirates' Termarr Johnson: Gets invite to big-league camp
Rotowire
Johnson has been invited to the major-league side of spring training for the Pirates.
The No. 4 overall selection in the 2022 Draft, Johnson held his own in his professional debut last season, posting a .794 OPS with one home run over 23 games between the Pirates' Florida Complex League team and Low-A Bradenton. Johnson could move up the ladder faster than most prospects making the jump from high school given his excellent plate skills, but it will still take him multiple years to reach the majors. Fellow top prospects Henry Davis and Quinn Priester will also be in Pirates camp as non-roster invitees.
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Pirates' Termarr Johnson: Looks good in small Single-A sample
Rotowire
Johnson batted .278/.408/.472 with one home run, four steals and a 10:12 BB:K across 13 games for Single-A Bradenton to close out the campaign.
He struggled mightily through nine games in rookie ball (.130/.310/.217), but the Pirates weren't discouraged and bumped the 2022 draft's No. 4 pick up to Single-A, where he put up a more-than-respectable conclusion to the season. Johnson's highly advanced plate skills and power projection make him a prospect to watch, and it's notable that he's been active on the basepaths despite generally being rated as an average runner.
