Pierce Johnson
RP ATL
Sat 5/18/24 10:03 AM

Atlanta reinstated Johnson (elbow) from the 15-day injured list Saturday.
EDGE Analysis
Right elbow inflammation forced Johnson onto the injured list May 4, and he'll now return to Atlanta's bullpen following a minimum-length stay. The 33-year-old righty sports a 3.00 ERA and 1.25 WHIP through 12 innings this season, and he figures to see plenty of action during Atlanta's stretch of 17 consecutive games without a day off. Jackson Stephens was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move.

Pierce Johnson
RP ATL
Fri 5/17/24 4:05 PM

Johnson (elbow) is expected to be reinstated from the 15-day IL on Saturday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
EDGE Analysis
After throwing a live bullpen session Wednesday, Johnson was expected to be activated prior to Friday's series opener against the Padres. However, he'll get one more day for recovery before rejoining the active roster Saturday. Friday's contest is the first of 17 straight, so Johnson's likely to see plenty of opportunities once available.

Pierce Johnson
RP ATL
Thu 5/16/24 10:41 AM

Johnson (elbow) said he felt good after throwing live batting practice Wednesday, and he's on track to come off the injured list ahead of Friday's game against the Padres, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
EDGE Analysis
The right-hander has been on the shelf since late April due to right elbow inflammation. Johnson has been an effective part of Atlanta's setup crew this season, recording two wins, a save and three holds in 13 appearances with a 3.00 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 16:5 K:BB through 12 innings.

Pierce Johnson
RP ATL
Fri 5/10/24 6:34 PM

Johnson (elbow) began throwing off a mound Friday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Just six days after landing on the injured list, Johnson has already been given the go-ahead to throw bullpen sessions. He will presumably throw a few more before progressing to facing hitters, but the 33-year-old righty could be on track to return to Atlanta's bullpen when eligible May 19.

Pierce Johnson
RP ATL
Sat 5/4/24 2:26 PM

Atlanta placed Johnson (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Saturday.
EDGE Analysis
Johnson has served as the primary right-handed set up man for Atlanta this season. He did not allow a run over his last seven appearances and did not give up a hit over his last five. Johnson has a 3.00 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 16:5 K:BB over 12 innings this season. Atlanta will likely to lean on right-hander Joe Jimenez for high leverage spots while Johnson is on the shelf. To make room on the 40-man roster, Atlanta transfered left-hander Angel Perdomo to the 60-day injured list.

Pierce Johnson
RP ATL
Sun 4/7/24 11:44 PM

Johnson picked up the save Sunday, giving up one hit and no walks with no strikeouts over a scoreless inning against Arizona.
EDGE Analysis
Johnson handled ninth-inning duties Sunday with closer Raisel Iglesias resting after pitching on back-to-back days. He made good on the save chance, picking up his first save in 29 appearances with Atlanta spanning back to last season. Johnson should return to his usual set-up role moving forward.

Pierce Johnson
RP ATL
Sat 4/6/24 10:53 AM

Johnson (2-0) picked up the win Friday, walking one and striking out two in a scoreless 10th inning as Atlanta downed the Diamondbacks 6-5.
EDGE Analysis
He walked a batter for the third straight appearance, but it's mostly been a strong start to the season for Johnson. The right-hander sports a 2.25 ERA and 5:3 K:BB through four innings as part of the high-leverage bridge to closer Raisel Iglesias, and Johnson has seen the most usage of any Atlanta reliever so far. After recording eight holds in 24 appearances for the team last season, he may not have to wait too much longer for his first hold of 2024.

Pierce Johnson
RP ATL
Fri 3/15/24 11:55 AM

Johnson struck out one in a perfect inning of relief during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.
EDGE Analysis
The 32-year-old right-hander has looked good this spring, posting a 7:1 K:BB over five innings while allowing just one run. Johnson spent some time closing for the Rockies last season before being acquired by Atlanta, and he excelled in a setup role for the NL East champs, delivering a 0.76 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 32:5 K:BB through 23.2 innings while picking up one win and eight holds in 24 appearances. He should resume those duties in 2024 as one of the primary bridges to closer Raisel Iglesias.

Pierce Johnson
RP ATL
Wed 10/25/23 6:19 PM

Atlanta signed Johnson to a two-year, $14.25 million contract extension Wednesday.
EDGE Analysis
Johnson will make $7 million in both 2024 and 2025, and the new deal also includes a $7 million club option (or $250,000 buyout) for 2026. The 32-year-old right-hander was acquired from the Rockies this past July and went on to deliver a 0.76 ERA and 32:5 K:BB over his final 23.2 regular-season innings with the NL East champions. He then carried that over into the playoffs, logging three scoreless relief appearances in the best-of-five NLDS against the Phillies.

Pierce Johnson
RP ATL
Fri 9/8/23 11:27 AM

Johnson struck out two in a perfect seventh inning Thursday to record his 10th hold of the season in a win over the Cardinals.
EDGE Analysis
The former Rockies closer has been very effective in a set-up role for Atlanta, posting a 2.12 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 23:4 K:BB through 17 innings with a win and six holds in 18 appearances. The NL East leaders have a deep bullpen, and Johnson would likely be behind A.J. Minter, Kirby Yates and others in the pecking order for saves should anything happen to Raisel Iglesias, but he's still producing deep-league fantasy value in his current role.