Bryce

Johnson

Johnson joins San Diego’s active roster in a bench role ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Dodgers. The 29-year-old speedster provides the Padres with a capable center fielder and pinch-running specialist while Jackson Merrill is on the concussion injured list.

Johnson got into 47 games last year for San Diego and provides them with some emergency center field depth at Triple-A El Paso with both Jackson Merrill (hamstring) and Brandon Lockridge (hamstring) on the injured list. He’s a decent defender with plus speed, which makes him a decent bench option, but he offers virtually nothing at the dish from an offensive standpoint.

No surprises here as Pittsburgh pares down its spring roster to just 42 players. The decision to jettison Delay leaves some combination of Joey Bart, Henry Davis and Endy Rodríguez as the likely season-opening catching mix behind the plate.

Johnson is the most noteworthy of the three despite posting a .177/.248/.226 slash line over 140 MLB plate appearances. In 2024, he hit hitting .288/.407/.431 with the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate in El Paso. He has always posted solid walk rates and can swipe bases, so there’s a chance he can play his way into some at-bats in Pittsburgh in 2024. Nuñez could provide organization depth at the corner infield spots, and Yean was traded with Wil Crowe from the Nationals to the Pirates for Josh Bell back in 2020. Yean had been the Nationals’ 6th-ranked prospect at the time but he hasn’t been able to match those expectations.

All of these were easy cuts. Patiño, the former top prospect whom the Padres got back from the White Sox off waivers last winter, underwent Tommy John surgery in May. He’ll almost surely be offered a minor league contract to stick around.

Johnson got a lot of playing time in pace of Fernando Tatis. Jr initially after being called up, but David Peralta overtook him, and Johnson was mostly a defensive replacement of late. He hit .206/.286/.238 in 73 plate appearances.

It’s a rare night off for the 21-year-old phenom, and unfortunately for fantasy managers it comes at Coors Field and against Kyle Freeland. Bryce Johnson will start in his place in center field and will bat ninth for the Padres on Saturday evening.

With left-hander Mitchell Parker starting for the Nationals, the Padres will leave David Peralta on the bench and let Johnson start. the 28-year-old is just 4-for-32 so for in 2024 and is off fantasy radars.

It’s notable because there’s a right-hander on the mound for the Red Sox on Friday night. The 28-year-old outfielder had started each of the first three games since he was recalled from Triple-A El Paso on Monday — but all of them were against southpaws. This could be an indication that the speedster is now an everyday starter for the Padres which would make him an interesting option in deeper mixed leagues.

Johnson, who hit .148/.209/.213 in 67 plate appearances for the Giants from 2022-23, will be making his Padres debut. The 28-year-old hit .301/.430/.461 with three homers and 18 steals in 259 plate appearances for El Paso. One imagines he’ll get most of the starts in right field until Fernando Tatis Jr. returns. We wouldn’t recommend him in shallow leagues, but those in deeper formats should consider an addition.