Pirates Prospect Returns to AFL After Injury
Pittsburgh Pirates fans can breathe a sigh of relief.
After missing one game, Pirates prospect Termarr Johnson is back in the lineup for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League. Johnson exited the first game of the AFL after suffering a severe cramp in the middle of his at-bat in the top of the eighth inning of the Scorpions' 9-7 win over the Salt River Rafters on Tuesday and didn't play in their 19-3 loss to the Mesa Solar Sox on Wednesday.
Johnson, the Pirates' No. 3 ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, is leading off for Scottsdale (1-1) and starting at shortstop when it faces the Surprise Saguaros (0-2) at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Johnson got off to a hot start in the AFL, going 2-4 with a solo home run and RBI single. The 2022 No. 4 overall pick fell behind 1-2 before smoking a hanging breaking ball for the right field wall for a leadoff 393-foot home run.
Termarr Johnson is out to prove he's "the best hitter in the world," and he isn't backing down.
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) October 9, 2024
To that end, the @Pirates' No. 3 prospect kicked off his @MLBazFallLeague season with a leadoff homer and an RBI single, then turned an injury scare into another positive:… pic.twitter.com/TbapwLjSFK
In the top of the second inning, Johnson found himself in a full count with fellow Pirates prospect Sammy Siani on second base. Johnson hit the ball through the left side into left field and Siani scored from second base to give Scottsdale a 2-0 lead.
Siani, who was 2-5 with a solo home run and two runs scored against the Rafters, is also back in the lineup after not playing on Wednesday. The outfield prospect is batting fifth and starting in center field.
Johnson, 20, is the No. 75 ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline and batted .237 with 15 home runs and 54 RBIs and stole 22 bases across High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona. Siani, 23, also spent his 2024 season playing for Greensboro and Altoona and hit nine home runs, drove in 48 runs and stole 16 bases.
