Pittsburgh’s day brought a little of everything: a troubling injury to one of the organization’s top prospects, a familiar face popping up in a division race, and another former Pirate trying to reboot his career elsewhere.
The biggest concern came with Termarr Johnson, who left Triple-A Indianapolis’ game against Iowa on Saturday after hurting his left knee. Johnson went down awkwardly while running out a ground ball to first base in the fourth inning, then immediately clutched his left leg. He was eventually carted off the field with an air cast on his leg while the team waits on further testing to determine how serious it is.
For Pittsburgh’s 2022 first-round pick, the timing couldn’t be much worse. Johnson, the Pirates’ No. 10 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, has had a rough first season at Triple-A.
Across 96 games, he’s hit .199/.336/.319 with 14 doubles, one triple, eight home runs and 37 RBI, while also swiping a career-best 24 bases. His situation matters even more because he’ll be Rule 5 Draft-eligible this offseason, leaving Pittsburgh with a decision to make about whether to protect him on the 40-man roster.
Elsewhere, former Pirates prospect Ji Hwan Bae has moved on to a contender in the division. Milwaukee signed him to a minor league contract and quickly put him on the major league roster after shortstop Cooper Pratt went on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain. Third baseman Joey Ortiz is also dealing with neck discomfort, and that left the Brewers thin enough in the infield to bring Bae in right away.
Bae didn’t waste time showing why Milwaukee wanted another body in the mix. He chipped in a bunt single and later laid down a sacrifice bunt in the Brewers’ 4-3 win over the Minnesota Twins.
The 27-year-old spent parts of four seasons in Pittsburgh before the Mets claimed him off waivers from the Pirates in November 2025. He had long been a regular presence on the Pirates’ top-30 prospect lists, peaking at No. 11 in MLB Pipeline’s rankings, but never locked down an everyday role in the majors. Through 514 big league plate appearances, Bae has a .223 average and .587 OPS, though his speed and defensive flexibility could make him useful depth while Milwaukee waits for its regulars to get healthy.
Another ex-Pirate, Dennis Santana, has also found a new landing spot. Arizona signed the reliever to a minor league deal after Pittsburgh designated him for assignment in late July.
Santana opened 2026 as the Pirates’ expected closer after turning in a career-best 16 saves and a 2.18 ERA last season, but the job didn’t last. His first half went sideways fast, and he was eventually moved into lower-leverage work.
The numbers told the story. Santana finished with a 6.05 ERA over 41.2 innings for Pittsburgh this season, striking out 19.9% of opposing hitters while walking 11.3%. His fastball velocity also fell to a career-low 94.1 mph.
Pittsburgh had claimed Santana off waivers from the Yankees during the 2024 season, and he was immediately one of the club’s steadier bullpen arms. He put up a 2.44 ERA in 39 appearances that year before working as a setup man and later closer in 2025.
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What makes the next phase so important is the schedule, which does not offer much of a break for a club trying to cling to postseason relevance. The Pirates have been hit hard by injuries, their production has slipped on both sides of the ball, and the margin for error is shrinking quickly. With a difficult slate ahead, the question is no longer just whether Pittsburgh can steady itself, but whether there is still enough time to turn a fading Wild Card chase back into something real. [Read more 🡒]