Johnson (3-3) picked up the win Thursday over the Marlins, giving up a hit and striking out one in a scoreless seventh inning.
The right-hander held Miami in check with Atlanta down 6-5 and was rewarded when his squad took the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh. Johnson may have missed a chance to audition as the closer down the stretch when Raisel Iglesias didn't get traded, but Johnson remains a key high-leverage option for Atlanta. He's been scored upon just once since June 13, posting a 0.48 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 19:3 K:BB over his last 19 appearances (18.2 innings) with two wins and five holds.
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Braves' Pierce Johnson: Nabs win Thursday
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Johnson (2-3) picked up the win in Thursday's 12-11 extra-inning victory over the Reds, striking out one in 1.1 perfect relief innings.
The right-hander was viewed as a potential closer candidate for the final two months of the season if Raisel Iglesias got dealt, but with Iglesias still in Atlanta after the trade deadline, Johnson will remain in a setup role. He put an impressive July in the books during which he posted a 0.75 ERA, 0.50 WHIP and 10:2 K:BB over 12 innings while notching one win and three holds in 12 appearances.
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Braves' Pierce Johnson: Collects ninth hold
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Johnson struck out one in a perfect sixth inning Monday to record his ninth hold of the season in a win over the Royals.
The right-hander continues to provide Atlanta with reliable high-leverage innings. Over his last 15 appearances, Johnson has been scored upon only once, delivering a 0.59 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 17:3 K:BB in 15.1 innings. With Raisel Iglesias a prime candidate to get shipped out at the trade deadline, Johnson could be in the mix for saves in August alongside Dylan Lee.
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Braves' Pierce Johnson: Riding scoreless streak into break
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Johnson has a 2.67 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 36:10 K:BB through 33.2 innings this season with a win, a save and seven holds in 36 appearances.
The 34-year-old right-hander is tied for second on Atlanta in holds, behind Dylan Lee's nine, and Johnson heads into the All-Star break having not allowed a run since June 7, posting a 0.97 WHIP and 11:3 K:BB in 10.1 innings over that scoreless stretch. If the struggling club decide to be sellers at the trade deadline and move closer Raisel Iglesias, Johnson could move into the ninth-inning mix over the final months of the season.
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Braves' Pierce Johnson: Surrenders walk-off homer
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Johnson (1-3) blew the save and took the loss Saturday against San Francisco. He allowed two runs on two hits while striking out one over two-thirds of an inning.
The right-hander has taken the loss on back-to-back days, this time giving up a two-run homer to Matt Chapman that spoiled Bryce Elder's stellar outing. Johnson has gotten a shot at closing games amid Raisel Iglesias' struggles, but he's posted a 6.23 ERA and 1.73 WHIP over his past 10 appearances, and he has more blown saves on the year (two) than successful conversions (one) .
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Braves' Pierce Johnson: Wild pitch leads to loss
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Johnson (1-2) took the loss Friday against the Giants, allowing an unearned run on one hit over one inning.
After Dylan Lee recorded the first two outs in the ninth inning with the score tied 4-4, Johnson entered the game and gave up a single to Tyler Fitzgerald but promptly picked him off at first base. The right-hander wasn't so fortunate in the 10th, however -- with Fitzgerald at second as the phantom runner, Johnson watched him advance to third on a one-out groundout, and then bounced a curveball well wide of the plate that Sean Murphy couldn't corral to bring home the winning run. Raisel Iglesias appears to be on very thin ice as Atlanta's closer, but performances like this don't make a compelling case for Johnson to replace him. Over his last seven appearances, Johnson has a 6.00 ERA, 1.83 WHIP and 6:2 K:BB in six innings with two losses and a blown save.
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Braves' Pierce Johnson: Converts save chance Tuesday
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Johnson gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday to record his first save of the season in a 5-2 win over the Nationals.
Raisel Iglesias was unavailable after pitching Sunday and Monday, but he's also been struggling badly of late and hasn't successfully converted a save chance since May 4. Johnson, on the other hand, reeled off his 10th straight scoreless appearance Tuesday, a stretch in which he's posted a 0.20 WHIP and 10:0 K:BB in 10 innings. While manager Brian Snitker hasn't yet indicated he's contemplating a change in the ninth inning, Johnson is making a strong case for a spot in the closing mix, at least until Iglesias rights the ship.
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Braves' Pierce Johnson: Collects third hold
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Johnson struck out two in 1.1 scoreless innings Sunday to record his third hold of the season in a win over the Dodgers.
The right-hander was expected to be one of Atlanta's top setup men this season, but a bumpy beginning to 2025 moved him down the bullpen hierarchy -- Johnson entered the game in the sixth inning Sunday. He appears to have turned things around however, delivering six straight scoreless appearances with a win, two holds and a 7:0 K:BB.
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Braves' Pierce Johnson: Notches first hold of 2025
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Johnson gave up a hit and a walk over two-thirds of a scoreless inning to record his first hold of the season in Wednesday's loss to the Dodgers. He struck out one.
Entering the game in the sixth inning to protect a 5-3 lead is a long way from the high-leverage usage Johnson was expected to see this season, but Atlanta was desperate to secure its first win of 2025. How the setup crew was deployed ended up being moot when closer Raisel Iglesias served up a walk-off homer to Shohei Ohtani. Johnson has been sharp in the early going, posting a 0.00 ERA and 4:1 K:BB through his first 2.2 innings, and once Atlanta gets off the shneid, holds should start to pile up for him.
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Braves' Pierce Johnson: Locked into setup role
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Johnson is expected to open the season as one of Atlanta's primary setup men in front of closer Raisel Iglesias, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Johnson had a solid first full season with Atlanta in 2024 that included a career-high six wins and 12 holds, and he will be counted on to handle more high-leverage duties with Joe Jimenez (knee) out until at least the All-Star break. If Johnson struggles, he could be pushed for late-inning work by Hector Neris, who didn't sign with the team until March 3 but racked up 31 holds as recently as 2023 with the Astros.
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Braves' Pierce Johnson: Picks up second save
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Johnson recorded a save Saturday, pitching a perfect ninth inning against the Nationals.
Johnson entered the contest with a two-run lead in the top of the ninth and managed to retire the side on just four pitches to secure his second save of the campaign. The right-hander was able to take advantage of a rare save opportunity after Raisel Iglesias hurled three innings over Atlanta's previous two games and likely was in need of some rest. Johnson has not allowed any runs in each of his last four appearances, allowing two hits over that stretch while posting a 2:2 K:BB.
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Braves' Pierce Johnson: Nabs fourth win
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Johnson (4-2) picked up the win Wednesday over the Brewers, allowing one hit and one walk over 1.1 scoreless innings. He struck out two.
The right-hander recorded the final out of the sixth inning in relief of Chris Sale, just in time to watch Atlanta's offense break open a 2-2 tie in the top of the seventh. Johnson has given up only one earned run over his last 13 appearances dating back to June 15, posting a 0.67 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 18:4 K:BB through 13.1 innings over that stretch while pocketing two wins and two holds.
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Braves' Pierce Johnson: Stuck with loss Thursday
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Johnson (3-2) took the loss Thursday as Atlanta fell 3-2 in 10 innings to the Mets, giving up an unearned run on a hit and a walk in two-thirds of an inning. He struck out two.
The right-hander did his job, fanning J.D. Martinez and Mark Vientos before coaxing a flyball from Jeff McNeil down the right-field line for what should have been the third out, but Ramon Laureano over-ran it and let it fall in for a single, allowing the automatic runner to score from second base. Johnson has been charged with an earned run in only one of his last 11 appearances, posting a 0.82 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 14:3 K:BB through 11 innings over that stretch while picking up two holds and a win. A.J. Minter's return from the IL has squeezed Johnson out of consistent setup work, but he remains one of Atlanta's most effective bullpen arms.
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Braves' Pierce Johnson: Notches eighth hold
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Johnson gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless seventh inning Sunday to record his eighth hold of the season in a win over the Yankees.
The right-hander has been sharp in June, getting scored upon only once in eight appearances with a 3.12 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 10:2 K:BB in 8.2 innings. Johnson is quickly closing in on the career-high 12 holds he collected in 2023 as part of Atlanta's high-leverage bridge to closer Raisel Iglesias.
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Braves' Pierce Johnson: Reinstated from IL
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Atlanta reinstated Johnson (elbow) from the 15-day injured list Saturday.
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.
Johnson (elbow) is expected to be reinstated from the 15-day IL on Saturday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
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 for Atlanta, so Johnson's likely to see plenty of opportunities once available.
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Braves' Pierce Johnson: Looks ready to return
Rotowire
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.
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.
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Braves' Pierce Johnson: Lands on 15-day IL
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Atlanta placed Johnson on the 15-day injured list Saturday with right elbow inflammation.
Johnson has served one of the top right-handed setup 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 and Atlanta will likely have to lean more on right-hander Joe Jimenez for high-leverage spots while Johnson is on the shelf. To make room on the 40-man roster, Atlanta transferred left-hander Angel Perdomo to the 60-day injured list.
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Braves' Pierce Johnson: Nabs win in extras
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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.
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.
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Braves' Pierce Johnson: Gearing up for setup role
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Johnson struck out one in a perfect inning of relief during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.
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.
