MILWAUKEE – Braves reliever Jim Johnson was claimed on waivers this week, a person familiar with the situation said, but the veteran was pulled back after a trade suitable to the Braves could not be worked out with the claiming team.
A free agent after this season, Johnson has allowed just two hits and converted all seven save opportunities over his past eight appearances, with two walks and 12 strikeouts in eight innings. He’s served as closer while Arodys Vizcaino has been on the disabled list.
Since returning at the beginning of June from his own DL stint, Johnson has posted a 1.57 ERA in 28 appearances with 27 strikeout and 10 walks in 28 2/3 innings.
Teams can place players on revocable waivers after the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, and if a player clears waivers he can be traded to any team. If claimed on waivers, the player’s current team can either work out a trade with the claiming team, let that team have the player (and assume his contract), or pull the player back from waivers and keep him the rest of the season.
Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports Network was the first to report that Johnson had been claimed and pulled back by the Braves.
