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.
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.
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.
Johnson has gone 2-for-7 with a double and two RBI in two games for Single-A Bradenton since exiting Sunday's contest with a calf cramp.
Bradenton's off day Monday was all Johnson needed to overcome the calf issue. The 19-year-old got off to a delayed start to the 2023 season after battling a hamstring injury during the spring and struggled initially upon returning, but he's been one of the Florida State League's more productive hitters in recent weeks. Since the beginning of June, Johnson has slashed .242/.418/.539 while maintaining a 22.2 percent walk rate and 24.6 percent strikeout rate.
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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.
