LOS ANGELES — The Braves made a bullpen move Saturday before continuing their series against the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine.
Key reliever Pierce Johnson was placed on the 15-day injured list with right-elbow inflammation. The move was backdated to May 1. The Braves replaced him with righty Jackson Stephens.
Johnson, 32, owns a 3.00 ERA in 13 appearances, striking out 16 in 12 innings. He had seven consecutive scoreless outings but hadn’t pitched since April 29 in Seattle. He said he felt “lingering soreness” after that outing, but he won’t require an MRI. The hope is Johnson heals with treatment and rest.
“I’ve had zero issue all year; I’ve thrown a lot lately and just had trouble recovering, so this is the safe call right now. ... It’s one of those things where you go on the IL and hopefully knock it out in two weeks,” Johnson said.
Manager Brian Snitker: “We thought maybe we’d treat him up (the past few days) and stay away from him but it wasn’t getting any better, so it was time to send him over to (trainer) George (Poulis) and the guys and shut him down for a little bit.
The Braves boast enviable bullpen depth, but Johnson is a big loss. Since the team acquired him from Colorado ahead of last summer’s trade deadline, Johnson has a 1.51 ERA in 37 appearances. He has a 48:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 35-2/3 innings, establishing himself as a trusted high-leverage reliever.
“Words can’t explain (how frustrated I am),” Johnson said. “I worked extremely hard all offseason, in spring training, and felt great. Then all of a sudden, here’s April and I feel great at the end and - it’s just frustrating.”
Snitker added: “I saw (Johnson) this morning at breakfast and he was kind of down a little bit. I told him it’d just be a minor blip on the screen there when you look back. He’s such a big part of - it’s a good bullpen and he’s one of the reasons why. So it’s tough to lose a guy like that.”
Stephens produced a 3.69 ERA across 39 games in 2022, but he made only five appearances last season. He provides another multi-inning option. He was scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles just before the Braves’ game Saturday against the Dodgers.
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