
They were disappointed to learn that the Giants already snuck him through in November and are under no obligation to carry him to start the season. A number of opposing scouts who have watched Johnson this spring - and who were eager to put a buy rating on him - assumed he might be out of options and perhaps available on the waiver wire. The Giants were fortunate that Johnson didn’t get claimed at the time. They needed Johnson’s 40-man spot to protect younger players like Marco Luciano and Luis Matos from the Rule 5 draft. The 27-year-old was 2 for 18 in 11 games and played a fair amount of late-inning defense before the team outrighted him off the roster at the conclusion of the season. The Giants’ outfield defense was brutal last season but Johnson didn’t make his major-league debut until August. And the River Cats’ Twitter feed was awash all last summer with videos of his great grabs in center field. He stole 30 out of 34 for Sacramento in 2021.


But after losing the 2020 minor league season to the pandemic, Johnson returned with more polish on the basepaths. He didn’t always turn his speed into an asset in 2019 when he stole 26 bases and was caught 15 times while splitting the season between Single-A San Jose and Double-A Richmond. Ever since then, he has made a gradual sprint, as oxymoronic as the term might seem, through the Giants system. It’s creating a lane for Johnson, a sixth-round pick in the 2017 draft who didn’t hit a homer in 322 plate appearances as a junior at Sam Houston State. Slater is expected to need a little more time but could be back in the latter half of the month. Haniger could return as soon as April 6, which is the final game of the season-opening road trip to play the Yankees and White Sox. Both outfielders are expected to begin on the 10-day injured list. “All I did was hit a ball in the air.”Ī couple of spots on the Giants roster are unexpectedly up in the air now that Mitch Haniger has missed time with a Grade 1 oblique strain and Austin Slater is sidelined by elbow inflammation followed by a Grade 2 hamstring strain. He’d driven in Johnson after the 27-year-old switch hitter had reached on a bunt single, stolen second, stolen third and shaken a metric ton of infield dirt out of his undershirt.īryce Johnson sigue 🔥. Michael Conforto had to laugh a week ago when he hit a sacrifice fly and descended to a dugout of congratulatory high-fives and fist bumps. He’s driven in eight runs while scoring 10 - usually with a minimum contribution from teammates. Johnson, who also contributed an RBI double on Wednesday, is hitting. Colorado outfield prospect Zac Veen has stolen eight of nine. Johnson leads all major-league players in stolen bases during the exhibition season, and it’s not an especially close race. After pilfering another Wednesday afternoon at Scottsdale Stadium against the Texas Rangers, Johnson has attempted to steal 12 bases this spring. Johnson has been so daring a thief during the Cactus League season, the Maricopa County sheriff’s department might have to assemble a task force. That’s because Johnson’s focus is always on the next base. “Which is funny, because people ask me about it all the time. All rights reserved.“The bases really haven’t affected me,” Johnson said. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information / Your California Privacy Rights are applicable to you. ^ Back to Top ^ © 2023 ESPN Internet Ventures. Johnson averaged 17.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists on a team that advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament.

He was diagnosed with a heart condition, but he eventually was cleared to play again and landed at Kansas State, where he was voted the 2023 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.įifteen months after collapsing, Johnson made one last ceremonious appearance for the Gators in March 2022 before entering the transfer portal and getting medical clearance to play at Kansas State this past season. Johnson had conducted interviews with teams at the NBA draft combine in Chicago last week.Īs a member of the Florida Gators, Johnson, 23, collapsed on the court against Florida State in December 2020 and spent three days in a medically induced coma. Johnson, considered a potential late first-round pick, will now be eligible to start traveling and working out for prospective teams, Bartelstein said. NBA teams were informed of Johnson's clearance in a memo shared from the league office on Friday afternoon. The NBA's Fitness to Play panel has cleared Kansas State guard/forward Keyontae Johnson, allowing for him to be selected in the June NBA draft, his agents Mark Bartelstein and Ross Aroyo of Priority Sports told ESPN on Friday. Keyontae Johnson cleared to be selected in NBA draft, agents say
WILL BRYCE JOHNSON PLAY UPGRADE
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