Pittsburg, PA
Pirates’ Termarr Johnson Discusses Minor League Season
PITTSBURGH — During the Pittsburgh Pirates’ win over the Miami Marlins on Monday night, top prospect Termarr Johnson sat down with SportsNet Pittsburgh’s Hannah Mears and discussed his rise through the team’s minor league system.
The Altoona Curve, Pittsburgh’s Double-A affiliate, was in town for the game, allowing Johnson to capture a closer look at his future stomping grounds.
The 20-year-old infielder is currently ranked as the organization’s No. 3 prospect and the No. 80 farmhand across the league by MLB Pipeline.
Johnson began the year in High-A Greensboro, where he hit .238/.372/.385 with 13 home runs, 46 RBIs and 20 stolen bases over 110 games. He was promoted to Double-A on Aug. 27 and has slashed .184/.273/.368 in 11 contests with the Curve.
When asked what the transition between the two levels has been like for him, Johnson praised the nature of Altoona’s clubhouse and how that’s impacted him as he’s settled in.
“It’s been great,” Johnson said. “Just having these guys, this clubhouse is great. All these guys are amazing and it’s just cool having them here, and having them throughout the season. I’m excited just to continue to play with them and finish out the season strong with them.”
The former No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Johnson is heralded as a potential building block within the Pirates’ future core. He’s struggled at times throughout the year, but he possesses an abundance of raw power and strong plate discipline that could help him develop into a true difference-maker at the major league level should his hit tool continue to progress.
Johnson stated that his biggest step forward this season has come with adapting his mindset, ensuring that he’s always prepared and available no matter the situation throughout the course of a game.
“Just being able to be available every day,” Johnson said. “Having that mindset that I’m going out there to play, even on the days off. Having that mindset even when the game is late, just to go in and try to help the team win late in the game.”
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Crews have blocked off a portion of a road in McCandless, Allegheny County, near UPMC Passavant, after a large sinkhole formed.
A township official confirmed to KDKA-TV on Sunday night that Cumberland Road is closed at Babcock Boulevard in front of the hospital. Barricades have been erected to ensure no pedestrians or vehicles have access to the area while repairs are made.
UMPC Passavant remains accessible via the Babcock Boulevard entrance and from the Peebles Road side of Cumberland Road, officials said.
A fire chief responding to the call told KDKA-TV that there are pipes underneath the area where the sinkhole formed, adding that he was unsure when the road would reopen or how long repairs would take.
No injuries have been reported. The area will remain closed while repair work continues.
WASHINGTON — The Pittsburgh Pirates could’ve lost a pitcher they valued, but they made sure they didn’t let him go elsewhere.
The Pirates announced that they selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Noah Murdock to the 40-man roster and optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis on July 5.
Pittsburgh needed room on their 40-man roster and did this by designating infielder Davis Wendzel for assignment.
The Pirates can now recall Murdock to the 26-man roster with this move and also move him between the minor leagues and major leagues as needed.
Why The Pirates Added Murdock to 40-Man Roster
It’s an interesting move from the Pirates, not one that necessarily has massive ramifications on the team, but more so from a contract stand point.
Murdock had an assignment clause in the minor league contract he signed with the Pirates this past offseason.
This allows another MLB team to add Murdock to their 26-man roster and the Pirates had to either let him go to that MLB team or put him on their 40-man roster. The Pirates doing so signals that there was interest of another team doing exactly this.
It is somewhat different than when a player exercises an upward mobility clause, which would’ve required the Pirates to add Murdock to their 26-man roster or let him go to another team, which they did with left-handed pitcher Joe La Sorsa, who they traded to the Boston Red Sox on June 4.
The Pirates decided that it was worth it to add him to their 40-man roster and let Wendzel go, who had played for them this season.
Pittsburgh selected Wendzel’s contract on June 7 and then after two games, optioned him back to Indianapolis on June 11.
Wendzel also went on the 7-day injured list on July 3, so the Pirates likely decided that they’d want a healthy minor leaguer on their 40-man roster rather than one who wasn’t.
What the Pirates Will Get From Murdock
There isn’t a guarantee that Murdock will play for the Pirates this season, but this move means that there’s always the possibility.
Murdock built back up this season, first pitching with Single-A Bradenton, then Double-A Altoona and with Indianapolis most recently.
He has posted a 2-2 record in 24 relief appearances with one start, with a 4.11 ERA over 30.2 innings pitched, 39 strikeouts to nine walks, a .223 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.11 WHIP.
Murdock has posted a 4.26 ERA over 11 relief appearances and 12.2 innings pitched with Indianapolis, with 21 strikeouts to four walks, a .245 BAA and a 1.26 WHIP.
Expect Murdock to throw one of three pitches in a cutter, sweeper or a sinker, but he does have a changeup and four-seam fastball in his arsenal as well.
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